0:25National Guard members walk along the National Mall in Washington D.C., Jan. 14, 2026.Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images
Federalized National Guard personnel will continue to be stationed in Washington, D.C., until the conclusion of the year, as stated by two officials.
Approximately 2,400 Guard members are presently deployed in the District, according to the officials. Except for the troops from D.C. itself, the forces have been sourced from Republican-led states such as Florida, South Carolina, Georgia, and Ohio.
In this Dec. 1, 2025, file photo, members of the National Guard patrol along Constitution Ave., in Washington, D.C.Heather Diehl/Getty Images
The mission of the Guard, termed “Make DC Safe and Beautiful,” commenced in August as part of a broader initiative by President Donald Trump to increase military presence in American cities for law enforcement purposes.
Troops were ultimately pulled back from cities like Los Angeles and Chicago after the U.S. Supreme Court determined that the president did not have adequate justification for those deployments.
The authority of the president is more extensive in Washington, however, where the National Guard operates under a distinct legal framework.
Troops have been patrolling relatively secure areas of the capital, including Metro stations in the downtown vicinity, Chinatown, and the National Mall.
Guardsmen on duty are equipped with M17 pistols or M4 rifles. Troops have also been assigned routine civic responsibilities, such as collecting litter, landscaping public spaces, and removing graffiti.
One source mentioned that the duration of the mission could be easily abbreviated if the president decides to alter his stance on the deployment.
National Guard members walk along the National Mall in Washington D.C., Jan. 14, 2026.Celal Gunes/Anadolu via Getty Images
In recent years, Guard units have increasingly been called upon for domestic assignments, even while they continue to fulfill overseas obligations in locations such as Syria and throughout Africa, and also engage in significant training exercises in the Pacific aimed at deterring China.
National Guard members Sarah Beckstrom and Andrew Wolfe.U.S. Department of Justice
This decision follows an incident in November where two West Virginia guardsmen were shot near the White House.
Army Spc. Sarah Beckstrom, 20, lost her life. Air Force Staff Sgt. Andrew Wolfe, 24, sustained critical injuries but survived a gunshot wound to the head.
The extended deployment of the Guard was initially reported by CNN.
Sourse: abcnews.go.com