A Soldier with the 131st Military Police Battalion, North Dakota National Guard, guides a Mine-Resistant Ambush Protected All-Terrain Vehicle (M-ATV) equipped with a Common Remotely Operated Weapon Station (CROWS) system onto a floating bridge during a wet gap crossing exercise on the Missouri River near Kimball Bottoms, N.D., Aug. 17, 2024. The bridge, constructed by the 957th Multi Role Bridge Company, played a crucial role in the joint training operation, showcasing the Guard's ability to support maneuver units in diverse operational environments. (U.S. Army Photo by Sgt. 1st Class Christy Van Drunen)
BISMARCK, N.D. (North Dakota Monitor) – North Dakota will send 60 National Guard members to Washington, D.C., starting in April, for an estimated three months to help police the city.
The move is in support of President Donald Trump’s August executive order declaring an emergency in D.C. The president said assistance from states is necessary to address what he described as rampant crime in the nation’s capital.
“Safeguarding the citizens, federal workers and elected leaders in our nation’s capital is a matter of national security, and we appreciate these Soldiers volunteering for this important mission,” Gov. Kelly Armstrong said in a Friday announcement.
Most of the 60 North Dakota members will come from the 131st Military Police Battalion, based in Bismarck, according to the announcement.
As of late December, there were roughly 2,950 National Guard troops deployed in D.C., according to an analysis by the nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office. That report estimates that the troops’ presence in the city will cost about $55 million per month.
Local leaders in D.C. have said the occupation is unlawful and unnecessary.
The attorney general of D.C. sued the Trump administration over the operation last year, arguing that the president’s actions violate federal law. The troops have been allowed to remain in the city while the lawsuit is ongoing.
Other states that have deployed guard members to D.C. include Ohio, Louisiana, Tennessee, Florida, Oklahoma, Indiana, South Carolina, Georgia, Alabama, South Dakota and Mississippi.
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