WASHINGTON (AP) — A National Guard deployment to Washington, D.C., has ballooned during the celebrations of the country’s 250th anniversary of independence, bolstered in part by contingents from Democratic-led states.
That participation has sparked anger among some in the nation’s capital who argue the troops are not just there to assist in securing the festivities but are being drawn into the Trump administration’s ongoing, open-ended Guard deployment to the city.
A contingent from Minnesota sent for the 250th is set to depart early. On Tuesday, a coalition of think tanks and civic, labor and civil rights groups asked Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to withdraw the state’s National Guard forces, saying they have been misused.
“Previous presidents have requested assistance from out-of-state Guard forces during major events in D.C., and such requests would normally give little cause for concern,” the groups said in a letter. “But there is nothing normal about the way President (Donald) Trump has used National Guard forces in the nation’s capital.”
The presence of National Guard members in Washington, D.C., has been contentious since August 2025, when Trump issued an emergency order because of what he said was out-of-control crime.
The local National Guard was activated and deployed to the streets, along with hundreds of federal law enforcement officers and agents. Trump also took control, briefly, of the local police department. States, all led by Republican governors, sent members of their Guard forces, as well.
Over the months, Guard members have responded to medical emergencies, assisted with arrests, helped local police enforce the city’s juvenile curfew and carried out beautification projects. The D.C. Guard helped with snow removal during a major storm in January.
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