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National Guard units started arriving in Washington D.C. on Tuesday after President Donald Trump declared a "public safety emergency" in the nation's capital, citing the need to "restore security" and combat crime rates.
Approximately 800 National Guard members from Washington and surrounding states began deploying to the city in phases, taking positions throughout the capital as part of Trump's sweeping security initiative announced Monday.
The president invoked Article 740 of the Washington D.C. Home Rule Act to place the city's police force under federal control and authorize the National Guard deployment. Trump said the measures were necessary to "re-establish law and order and public safety in Washington."
"I am deploying the National Guard to restore law and order and public safety in Washington, and we will ensure they carry out their duties properly," Trump said in his announcement. "If necessary, I will bring the military here as well."
The deployment comes as the Trump administration faces legal challenges over similar military deployments in other cities. A federal judge in San Francisco heard arguments Monday regarding the administration's use of National Guard and Marine units in Los Angeles during summer protests, with California successfully arguing the deployment violated the 10th Amendment.
The Justice Department has appealed that ruling, contending courts cannot second-guess presidential orders. The case, continuing through Wednesday, could establish precedent for future domestic military deployments under the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which generally prohibits using military forces for domestic law enforcement.
Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser disputed the administration's characterization of rising crime rates but said the city would continue coordinating with the White House on security matters.
The federal takeover of local policing in the nation's capital represents an unprecedented assertion of federal authority over municipal law enforcement, with Trump citing his goal to "reduce crime rates" and "clean up homelessness" as justification for the emergency measures.
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