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The National Guard may remain stationed in the nation’s capital through the summer of 2026, according to a new court filing from the District of Columbia attorney general.
Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a filing submitted Friday that internal National Guard documents outline plans for a “long-term persistent presence” in Washington, potentially lasting through the United States’ 250th anniversary celebration next July.
The disclosure came as a 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals panel ruled Monday that the Trump administration could continue its deployment of National Guard troops to Portland, Oregon. The White House had first ordered about 200 guardsmen there on Sept. 28, a move initially blocked by a federal judge before the appellate ruling lifted that restriction.
Schwalb’s filing is part of an ongoing lawsuit challenging what he calls the unlawful deployment of Guard troops in the District. President Donald Trump announced the deployment in August, placing the Metropolitan Police Department under federal oversight after declaring a “crime emergency” in the city.
Documents attached to the filing describe the Guard’s coordination with local law enforcement, which Schwalb argues violates federal restrictions on military involvement in domestic policing. An email from D.C. National Guard Commander Maj. Gen. Leland Blanchard directed troops to begin “wintering” their formation, which Schwalb said suggests the force intends to remain in place through the colder months.
Court exhibits also indicate that Guard members from Alabama and other states have been rotated into Washington since mid-September, signaling an ongoing operation. Schwalb raised concerns that out-of-state service members have been taking orders directly from the D.C. Guard, which reports to the Pentagon rather than city officials.
The attorney general further alleged that some Guard troops have been deputized as federal law enforcement officers, performing policing duties he says violate the Posse Comitatus Act, a 147-year-old law prohibiting the use of federal troops for domestic law enforcement without congressional approval.
White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers defended the deployments, telling WUSA-TV that “President Trump successfully stopped the out-of-control crime crisis in our nation’s capital and turned it into a safe and clean city.” She said the Guard remains in Washington “to ensure the long-term success of federal operations to deter violent crime” and praised the troops for their service.