National Guard deployment in Washington extended to Nov. 30
National Guard deployment in Washington extended to Nov. 30, but unclear how long they'll stay
Sarah D. WireThe commander of the DC National Guard extended the Guard's deployment to Nov. 30, according to a social media post, but it remains unclear if guardsmen will patrol the capital for that entire time.
The public safety emergency that President Donald Trump declared for DC in August is due to expire on Sept. 10.
The White House did not answer questions as to whether he planned to extend that emergency or if he asked for the deployment to be extended. A White House official said that Trump is committed to the long-term safety and security of the city.
"I've made the decision to extend the encampment, as we continue to work to ensure that everyone that walks through these city streets is safe," Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, interim commanding general for the DC National Guard, said in a video posted to the DC National Guard's Facebook page. "They deserve that. You deserve that. Our nation deserves that."
The order applies only to the members of the DC National Guard. The order does not apply to National Guard members from other states, including Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, and West Virginia.
The DC National Guard referred questions about why the deployment was extended to the White House. NBC4 Washington reported that the DC National Guard told them the extension is an administrative matter that guarantees deployed guardsmen will not lose pay and benefits.
Attorney General Pam Bondi said on social media Sept. 4 that 1,841 people were arrested and 188 guns were seized since the federal takeover began. Trump has also taken control of the district's Metropolitan Police Department.
Some of the more than 2,300 National Guard on duty in Washington have found themselves beautifying Washington's parks and streets, picking up trash or patrolling popular low-crime tourist areas rather than high-crime neighborhoods.
On Sept. 4, DC Attorney General Brian Schwab sued the Trump administration over the deployment of National Guard troops, asking the judge to block the deployment of 2,200 troops by arguing it is unconstitutional and violates federal law.
Trump has also threatened to send federal troops in to Chicago and New Orleans this week. On Sept. 2, a federal judge blocked his deployment of the National Guard in California