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The Pentagon confirmed Thursday that President Donald Trump’s deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., will continue through the end of his second term.
In an email announcing the decision, the Defense Department said the mission has been extended until Jan. 20, 2029, “or until terminated by the President.” The deployment had previously been scheduled to expire at the end of this year.
President Trump first ordered approximately 2,500 National Guard troops and additional federal law enforcement personnel into the nation’s capital in August 2025 after declaring a crime emergency.
The administration has credited the deployment with helping reduce crime in Washington, while local officials have argued crime was already declining before federal forces arrived.
During the mission, Guard members have responded to medical emergencies, assisted law enforcement, helped with snow removal and participated in beautification projects throughout the city.
Similar National Guard deployments in other cities have been halted or limited by court rulings, including in California and Illinois, while smaller operations continue in locations such as New Orleans.
In Washington, Guard members continue to patrol Metro stations, tourist attractions, neighborhoods and parks.
Because Washington is a federal district rather than a state, the president has direct authority over the District of Columbia National Guard, giving the administration greater control than it has over Guard deployments elsewhere.
Although National Guard troops are not authorized to make arrests, the Trump administration has said their support has strengthened broader law enforcement efforts.
According to the White House, a joint federal task force has made approximately 12,000 arrests since operations began, including 62 known gang members, and has seized thousands of illegal firearms.
Local officials, however, continue to dispute how much of the city’s declining crime rate can be attributed to the deployment, noting that crime statistics had already been trending downward before federal troops arrived. Those crime figures later became the subject of an investigation after allegations that local police data may have been manipulated.
