National Guard troops could remain on patrol in Washington, D.C., until at least summer 2026, military officials revealed.
In court documents submitted to the judge overseeing the federal lawsuit between D.C. and the Trump administration, military officials confirmed in email exchanges that there are plans for a long-term “persistent presence” of the guard.
In an email from mid-September, Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commanding general of the D.C. National Guard, informed other military officials that they should prepare teams for winter, as the mission is committed through November 30, with the potential to extend.
"We know that America 250 occurs this summer, and that will be a factor in determining the future of the mission,” Blanchard wrote in the email, referencing America’s 250th anniversary celebration, which is set for on July 4, 2026.
Among the trove of emails, Blanchard also confirmed that the federal government has deputized all 2,400 National Guard members currently patrolling the nation’s capital. That includes some from the D.C. guard as well as eight other states – Ohio, South Carolina, Georgia, Mississippi, Louisiana, Tennessee, West Virginia and Alabama.
“President Trump successfully stopped the out-of-control crime crisis in our nation’s capital and turned it into a safe and clean city,” White House officials said in a statement to The Independent. To ensure the long-term success of the federal operations to deter violent crime, the National Guard is still present in Washington, DC. We are thankful for their service to keep our capital safe for all of its residents and visitors.”
President Donald Trump sent members of the D.C. National Guard into the city in August under the assertion that there was a “crime emergency” despite police reporting the lowest homicide rates since 2023.
Since then, the president has falsely touted D.C. as a “totally safe” city with “no crime.” In September, there were at least 78 instances of assault with a deadly weapon and 11 instances of sex abuse, according to the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department.
While there have been thousands of arrests in the city, data reviewed by CBS News shows that nearly half are immigration-related.
Most of the National Guard’s work in D.C. has been assisting local law enforcement or federal agents from other agencies, as they are not permitted to make arrests. Guard members have helped “beautify” the city by cleaning up trash, removing graffiti, removing homeless encampments, putting up fencing and more.
An analysis by CNN estimates the ongoing deployment could cost upwards of $1 million per day.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who is suing Trump, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, Secretary of the Army Daniel Driscoll, the Defense Department, and Justice Department for sending in the guard, accused the administration of violating the Constitution.
“Discovery has confirmed that all of the National Guard troops in the District are operating under federal command, engaged in core law enforcement activities, and likely to remain here indefinitely—potentially through at least the summer of 2026,” Schwalb wrote.
He said the “assertion of federal command” could be a violation of the Posse Comitatus Act, which prohibits the government from using the military for domestic law enforcement, as well as the Militia Clauses of the Constitution, which give Congress the power to call forth a militia.
As president, Trump has direct authority over the D.C. National Guard and the rarely-used power to invoke state National Guards in the event of a foreign invasion, rebellion, or when it is impossible to execute laws with regular force.
Governors from other states, such as Ohio Governor Mike DeWine, previously said their National Guard troops would be patrolling D.C. until November 30.
It’s unclear if that directive has officially changed.
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