The Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a letter criticizing the Council of the District of Columbia’s demand to remove National Guard troops deployed in the American capital.
“Let me be clear, your council has no power to demand that governors remove their brave men and women from serving in uniform in our Nation’s capital,” the letter said. “Your politically-motivated letter is impotent theatrics not worth the paper it’s written on, and D.C. is a much safer place no matter what you say.”
According to the DOJ social media post, the council had sent letters to 10 governors whose National Guard members are currently serving in Washington, demanding that the troops be withdrawn.
In a July 22 letter to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, the council said that around 5,148 National Guard personnel were deployed in Washington under the premise that their presence was necessary for public safety. However, the deployment since August 2025 has only resulted in a “modest decrease” in property crime and “no measurable reduction” in violent crime, the letter said.
The council alleged that millions in taxpayer dollars were being spent on National Guard deployment without a demonstrable violent-crime benefit, which it said amounts to a misuse of taxpayer funds.
“Extending the deployment raises serious concerns about mission creep, the militarization of civilian spaces, the erosion of local democratic control, and potential interference in the peaceful transfer of power following upcoming elections,” the letter said.
The DOJ’s Aug. 12 letter dismissed the council’s claims of the National Guard deployment having no benefit, stating that the murder rate in the capital has “dropped substantially” in tandem with the troop deployment.
On Aug. 11, 2025, President Donald Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington and directed “significant federal resources” to protect life in the city, with the results pointing to “historic drops in violence,” the DOJ said.
The National Guard has played a “pivotal role” in that effort by increasing officer visibility, protecting critical infrastructure, and supporting life-saving law enforcement operations, according to the DOJ letter.
“The D.C. Council has no role in managing the brave men and women protecting our Nation’s capital. You should withdraw your letters,” the DOJ stated.
Impact of Federal Deployment
In 2024, Washington’s homicide rate was 27.54 per 100,000 residents, the executive order said. The vehicle theft rate of 842.4 per 100,000 residents was the country’s highest, more than three times the national average.
Both homicide and vehicle theft crimes declined in Washington in the first half of 2026 compared to the same period in 2025, according to an Aug. 11 report from the think tank Council on Criminal Justice. The homicide rate was down 41 percent while motor vehicle theft declined by 54 percent. Sexual assault, robbery, carjacking, and larceny rates fell as well.
In an Aug. 10 statement, the U.S. Marshals Service said that over 16,000 individuals have been arrested in Washington since the launch of the task force one year back, including gang members, homicide suspects, and people linked to narcotics crimes.
“When law enforcement works together, the impact is exponential. The D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force is proof of that the whole-of-government approach works,” U.S. Marshals Service Director Gadyaces S. Serralta said in the statement.
A video shared by the District of Columbia National Guard in an Aug. 11 post on X said that a total of over 9,000 National Guard personnel have been activated to support the task force over the past year, with the combined working days of all service members exceeding 100,000.
“As we continue to move into the future, the President has been very clear. We’ve got a very direct purpose and mission here,” said Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard II, interim commanding general of the D.C. National Guard.
“And I think quite frankly, we will continue to support and work with our partners and local and federal law enforcement. And then we'll see what the future holds.”
