National Guard troops are expected to remain stationed in Washington, D.C., for three months longer than anticipated, as War Secretary Pete Hegseth is extending their deployment through February 2026.
The development, reported by multiple outlets, marks the second time an extension has been authorized, after President Donald Trump first ordered troops to the District of Columbia in August in an effort to combat crime and improve safety for residents.
In September, the administration issued an extension for troops to remain in the district through November in what it described as a move to ensure soldiers receive full benefits contingent on the length of their mobilization.
There are now just under 2,400 National Guard troops mobilized in Washington, including those from the district, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, Georgia, and Alabama.
It is unclear whether the latest extension of troops applies broadly to all states or would only authorize the D.C. National Guard for mobilization through February. Multiple states had announced earlier this month plans to withdraw troops from the capital in the coming weeks, according to the Associated Press. The five states are responsible for around 80% of the 1,300 out-of-state troops deployed to Washington.
In response to requests for more details, an Army official told the Washington Examiner that the military is “continuing its support.”
“At the direction of the Secretary of War, Joint Task Force – DC is continuing its support of the DC Safe and Beautiful mission. Every day, JTF-DC service members are patrolling communities, deterring crime, and providing vital assistance to the citizens and visitors of the District of Columbia,” the official said in a statement.
Crime across various metrics has plummeted due to the deployment of troops, according to local police and the Trump administration.
However, the rare mobilization of the military in U.S. cities has attracted scrutiny from many Democrats, who argue it is an unnecessary, authoritarian tactic.
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Local officials sued to stop the deployment last month, as District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb accused Trump of exercising “illegal overreach” and arguing that the district should not have “out-of-state military who are not accountable to the residents and untrained in local law enforcement policing its streets.”
Schwalb suggested earlier this month that Trump is planning to have Hegseth extend the deployment of military troops in the capital well into the summer of 2026. In court filings, the attorney general’s office said internal documents show National Guard officials planning for a “long-term persistent presence.”
