WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥� It鈥檚 been 12 months since President Donald Trump announced in Washington, pledging to make the city 鈥渟afe and beautiful鈥� and deploying the National Guard.
But a mission that seemed temporary has been . Residents and see in it an unacceptable attempt by the federal government to restrict the heavily Democratic city’s autonomy and, a year in, still question why having troops on the streets of the nation’s capital is necessary.
鈥淭here鈥檚 a deep irony that here we are in the capital of the free world, and our president is treating it like a police state,鈥� said Scott Michelman, legal director of the ACLU of the District of Columbia. 鈥淒.C. residents have lived with our National Guard troops in our neighborhoods for about a year, despite the absence of any genuine emergency and really any reason for them to be here.鈥�
The continued deployment will be a major test for a new batch of political candidates expected to take office after the midterms this fall. Residents will look to them to push back on the Republican president’s encroachment into the city’s affairs 鈥� although they’re limited in what they can do to counter it.
Temporary deployment goes on and on
On Aug. 11, 2025, Trump announced he was launching in Washington aimed at fighting crime. As of Aug. 4, more than 4,600 military personnel from D.C. and 24 states and territories were still deployed alongside unknown numbers of less visible federal law enforcement officers. Some are expected to be withdrawn toward the end of the summer.
Small groups of armed guard members have become a routine presence on the streets. They have supported arrest operations but are also seen patrolling tourist areas, such as along the Tidal Basin during and in neighborhoods such as Georgetown where violent crimes are rare. They’ve helped with medical emergencies, snow removal and beautification projects 鈥� initiatives that have from some residents.
Extending the deployment into 2029 will cost about $1.4 billion, the Defense Department estimates. Exact figures on what’s been spent so far are unavailable, but the Congressional Budget Office projected in a report earlier this year the total cost for the first year of the deployment would be around $660 million, based on a monthly troop level of about 2,900, a figure that’s fluctuated throughout the mission.
鈥淧resident Trump has transformed D.C. from a crime-ridden city into a safe and beautiful haven for residents and visitors alike,鈥� White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in an email.
Figures released Monday by the U.S. Marshals Service showed over 16,000 arrests have been made since the surge began, including 35 homicide suspects and 3,200 narcotics arrests. Authorities also have seized nearly 2,000 illegal firearms.
Attorney General Todd Blanche said in a statement that the arrests and weapons seizures “mean safer neighborhoods and lives protected.”
Crime, which was falling before the surge began, continues to drop. Metropolitan Police Department statistics show overall crime was down 20% through Friday, compared with the same period in 2025. That includes a 32% drop in homicides, from 97 to 66.
But there鈥檚 a debate over how much of that success is owed to Trump鈥檚 mission or to yearslong local efforts to chip away at the crime rate.
What’s certain is locals feel the weight of the deployment and don’t see a clear way to push back against it. National Guard deployments to other cities have been blocked by courts, and is pending, but critics of the surge aren’t hopeful.
鈥淭he fact that we still have the National Guard walking our streets a year later with no end in sight is really demoralizing,鈥� city council member Brianne K. Nadeau said.
Autonomy is a top priority for newly elected candidates
Because Washington is a congressionally established federal district, Trump has much greater influence over the police and D.C. National Guard, which he controls directly, including its commander.
The Home Rule Act, passed in 1973, allows residents to vote for local leaders, including the mayor and council members. Congress has oversight over the local budget and review authority of all laws passed and the ability to summon district officials to the Capitol routinely to explain themselves. is a nonvoting position.
The city鈥檚 governmental structure under home rule made it easy for Trump to do what he has done, Nadeau said.
鈥淭here isn鈥檛 really any political liability for national leaders to mess with D.C. because nobody really cares,鈥� outside of those directly impacted, she said.
The law enforcement surge played a major role in in June, which elevated candidates who have made Washington’s autonomy and statehood top priorities.
Janeese Lewis George, a democratic socialist who in the overwhelmingly Democratic city is likely to be its next mayor, has already rankled Trump. He threatened to put the city under federal control if she wins.
Robert White Jr., another pro-statehood candidate, won the Democratic primary for the city’s seat in Congress.
And while they are hamstrung by the city’s status, both hope they have strategies that can help fight back against the president and the deployment.
White told The Associated Press he plans to build 鈥渁n army of residents鈥� and allies to target swing districts and work at 鈥渦n-electing” people critical of the district and 鈥渆lecting those who do support D.C.鈥�
The action is similar to one a former D.C. congressional delegate, Walter Fauntroy, successfully pursued in 1972, mobilizing Black voters and allies against a South Carolina Congress member who had long opposed D.C.’s independence.
鈥淗e didn’t deploy that strategy a bunch of times, but it sent a signal to people to lay off of D.C.,鈥� White said.
The city’s outgoing mayor, , avoided the kind of biting rhetoric and personal attacks typical of other high-profile Democratic leaders, despite the unprecedented intervention into her city. A major part of that was to avoid raising Trump鈥檚 ire and threaten what independence the city has.
In a statement Monday, Bowser called the surge an 鈥渦nprecedented federal intervention” that highlighted D.C.’s lack of “statehood and autonomy.鈥�
She credited her actions during the surge, including working with the federal government, with protecting home rule and keeping the federal emergency that gave control of the local police to the president from being extended.
鈥淪till, unmitigated ICE activity in American cities and out-of-state National Guard troops in D.C. remain problematic,” she said. “Like all Americans, Washingtonians deserve local control and accountability. My North Star remains clear: protect Home Rule, protect D.C.鈥檚 autonomy, and protect D.C. residents.鈥�
Concerns over troops in the city during elections
Donna Powell, who is living part time in the city, said she and her husband walk and metro everywhere. 鈥淲e鈥檙e already safe and beautiful,鈥� she said. 鈥淲e don鈥檛 need all these National Guard here.鈥�
The money could be better spent 鈥渙n healthcare and food for families that need it.鈥�
The National Guard deployment has raised concerns among some over what the upcoming midterms and the 2028 presidential election will look like with troops on the streets.
鈥淭he last time this president was supposed to come out of power, Jan. 6 happened,” said Alex Dodds, co-founder of FreeDC, an activist group that has protested the deployment by following and filming National Guard troops in quiet areas of the city far away from crime concerns. “Imagine if that happens again but this time he has 5,000 troops standing at the ready to be part of that situation. You know, that鈥檚 our worry.鈥�
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