National Guard troops arrive in DC under Trump's order to fight crime, homelessness
Among those deployed were members of the Guard's 273rd Military Police Company, whose commanders shared social-media images of armored Humvees parked next to the Washington Monument. Trump ordered 800 members of the guard into service, though not all have yet been deployed.
Trump's decision to deploy the military drew sharp condemnation from Democrats across the country, who said the move raises civil-liberties concerns at a time when crime in D.C. is dropping.
"We're taking our capital back," Trump said on Aug. 11. "We're taking it back."
Because D.C. falls under federal control, the president has the authority to call up the National Guard, and he also ordered that the city's Metropolitan Police Department be brought under Justice Department management. Mayor Muriel Bowser sought to reassure residents, saying that while violent crime remains a problem in the city, the national guard deployment was unnecessary.
"Violent crime in DC is at its lowest level in 30 years. We had an unacceptable spike in 2023, so we changed our laws and strategies," she said at a televised community meeting on August 12. "Now, crime levels are not only down from 2023, but from before the pandemic. Our tactics are working, and we aren't taking our foot off the gas."
'Physical presence' on DC streets
Bowser said Trump called up the guard for non-law enforcement purposes, indicating they would work in a support role to assist law enforcement officers. White House officials said there would be anywhere from 100 to 200 troops supporting law enforcement at any given time, primarily providing administrative and logistical support, along with a "physical presence" on the streets.
"We will continue to watch for that," Bowser said.
Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth said it would take time for all 800 guard members to move into position across the city.
"You will see them flowing into the streets of Washington in the coming weeks," Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth said at an Aug. 12 news conference. "They will be strong. They will be tough."
Advocates for homeless people worried that the president's decision to send in troops would make life even harder for the roughly 900 people living on the city's streets.
"We're going to be removing homeless encampments from beautiful parks, which now, a lot of people can't walk on,' Trump told reporters on Aug. 11, adding that his administration is getting "rid of the people from underpasses and public spaces from all over the city."
In a statement, the National Homelessness Law Center said tougher enforcement does nothing to solve homelessness.
"Arresting or ticketing people for sleeping outside makes homelessness worse, wastes taxpayer money, and simply does not work," spokesman Jesse Rabinowitz said. "The solution to homelessness is housing and supports, not handcuffs and jails."
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: National Guard troops deployed to DC streets under Trump orders
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