:WASHINGTON (AP) - Three Republican-led states said Saturday that they where deploying hundreds of National Guard members to the nation’s capital to bolster the Trump administration’s effort to overhaul policing in Washington through a federal crackdown on crime and homelessness.
West virginia said it was deploying 300 to 400 Guard troops, while South Carolina pledged 200 and Ohio says it will send 150 in the coming days, marking a significant escalation of the federal intervention.
The moves came as protesters pushed back on federal law enforcement and National Guard troops fanning out in the heavily Democratic city following President Donald Trump’s executive order federalizing local police forces and activating about 800 District of Columbia National Guard members.
By adding outside troops to the existing D.C. Guard deployment and federal law enforcement presence, Trump is exercising even tighter control over the city. It’s a power play that the president has justified as an emergency response to crime and homelessness, even though city officials have noted that violent crime is lower than it was during Trump’s first term in office.
National Guard troops have played a limited role in the federal intervention so far, and it’s unclear why additional troops are needed.They have been patrolling landmarks like the National Mall and Union Station and assisting law enforcement with tasks including crowd control.
National Guard members have begun 24-hour operations in DC
Small National Guard units have deployed to Union Station and the National Mall. National Guard troops have begun 24-hour operations around Washington, D.C., as of Thursday morning.
