WASHINGTON (7News) — The District is reacting to the Pentagon’s alleged plan to keep National Guard members deployed in Washington, D.C. until 2029, the end of President Trump’s term, and his mission to make D.C. safe and beautiful.
At least 2,500 National Guard members have patrolled D.C. streets since last August.
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Their deployment was initially scheduled to end in 2025. Then it was extended until the end of 2026. But now this could be home base for another three years.
Two U.S. officials told ABC News that the agency is planning to maintain a presence in the city through early 2029.
“We don’t need to have theater on our streets,” said Tropper Sanders, who has lived in the District for nearly 30 years.
The president first deployed the National Guard last summer, even as the District was already seeing historically low crime rates.
“There are crime and safety issues, but that should be handled with law enforcement and government,” said Sanders. “I think at a time when we are at war, we are expecting so much of our service members. We should not use their time in ways that are not essential.”
Some residents and city leaders said the military has helped clean up the city, but not with crime. D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson said he does not see the point of keeping the National Guard in D.C.
“I know that the President said it was all about law and order,” he said. “The National Guard does not do law enforcement. What I see is them walking around, during the snow, creating a path they were very good at, shoveling snow.”
Residents like Shanti Israni told 7News their presence is noticeable.
“They open people’s doors,” said Israni. “If there are people who need help with groceries, they’ve helped the people with groceries. They’re helping. But also, my hope is that people in the community can also fill that role.”
Mendelson said the deployment is costing taxpayers significantly.
“It could be $1.6 million a day,” said Mendelson. “That’s like between almost $400 million and $600 million a year. I don’t get the point.”
If they are ordered to stay, community members told 7News they want the city to put the services to good use.
“The mayor or the next mayor should really look at where the true hotspots or issues are where we can make the most of these servicemembers’ time,” said Tropper. “That does not necessarily have to be about crime. There are a lot of things that we can deploy these talented people to deal with. If we have to do this, then let’s at least figure out how the District can be so much better in 2029.”
“I also realize that the people making these decisions probably know a lot that we don’t,” said Israni. “If our country’s at war, I wonder if risks in D.C. will increase. If D.C. will become more of a target, maybe in that way it might be helpful to have people, but, if again, if the mission is keeping D.C. safe and beautiful, D.C.’s saving people already.”
A Pentagon spokesperson told ABC News, “The Department of War is committed to supporting the president’s mission to address the epidemic of crime in the nation’s capital. There are no announcements to make at this time.”
The District has been pushing back on the president’s deployment, with expectations of continuing to do so.
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“There’s pending litigation now,” said Mendelson. “The attorney general won preliminarily, and then it went up to the court of appeals, where there was a stay. It’s all pending. There’s further legal argument.”
Officials told ABC News the deployment plan was finalized last year and is awaiting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s signature.
