President Donald Trump extended the deployment of National Guard troops in D.C. through the end of 2026, defense officials familiar with the plan told CNN Friday.
The roughly 2,600 troops, including from the D.C. National Guard and those sent by 11 Republican states, will continue to conduct armed patrols and assist with beautification projects throughout the city, The Washington Post reported, despite legal challenges, District resident protests and pushback from local officials. The order comes after troops were originally supposed to withdraw from the city in February after Trump extended their deployment in October, and the U.S. Court of Appeals ruled the National Guard could remain in the city while they consider the merit of a lawsuit launched by D.C.’s attorney general to end the troop’s presence.
Trump originally deployed 800 troops from the D.C. National Guard to the District in August as part of his crackdown on crime in the city, and that force has been bolstered by troops from 11 Republican-led states to bring the total to over 2,600.
In October, students noted an increased National Guard presence near campus — including inside a campus building — stating the troops made them feel unsafe. Since Trump’s deployment of the guard, University officials have met with the National Guard twice to clarify which University buildings troops have access to and posted signs around campus to make clear that certain buildings are only available to individuals with GWorld tap access.
The National Guard and White House did not immediately return a request for comment.
D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb sued to end the National Guard deployment in September, with a District Court judge originally finding the troops’ presence unlawful and ordering for them to leave by Dec. 11. In December, the U.S. Court of Appeals paused that order, ruling the Guard can stay in the District while the appeals court weighs the legality of its deployment, a decision the Trump administration touted as a legal victory.
Following the initial deployment, the Free D.C. movement — a renewed campaign to protect Home Rule for the District — has surged, with the group organizing several protests that have drawn thousands denouncing the deployment as a federal overreach into the city’s law enforcement actions and demanding the troops leave.
The shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members near the White House in November, which left one Guard member dead, renewed calls for the troops to be sent home. Shortly after the shooting, Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth ordered 500 more troops be sent to the District.
The extension in D.C. comes as Trump has backed away from his attempts to deploy National Guard troops to other Democratically-run cities like Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland after the Supreme Court ruled the deployment in Chicago was illegal.