WASHINGTON — The number of National Guard troops stationed in Washington, D.C. has grown significantly in recent weeks, swelling as part of security preparations for the nation’s 250th birthday celebrations. Part of that increase has come from states led by Democratic governors — and that involvement is now generating serious criticism.
Critics argue that troops sent by Democratic-led states for the anniversary festivities are being folded into a much broader, ongoing Guard deployment that the Trump administration launched in August 2025. That deployment began after President Donald Trump issued an emergency order, citing what he described as rampant crime in the nation’s capital.
On Tuesday, a coalition of think tanks along with civic, labor, and civil rights organizations sent a letter to Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, urging her to pull the state’s National Guard forces out of D.C., arguing 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 wrote. “But there is nothing normal about the way President (Donald) Trump has used National Guard forces in the nation’s capital.”
The original August 2025 deployment involved the local National Guard, hundreds of federal law enforcement personnel, and Guard members from states with Republican governors. Over time, those troops have responded to medical emergencies, helped with arrests, assisted police in enforcing a juvenile curfew, carried out beautification work, and even helped clear snow during a major January storm.
The deployment had held steady between roughly 2,300 and 2,600 troops for months. In recent weeks, however, that number climbed to around 5,000 to support the Great American State Fair, July 4th fireworks, and other large public events tied to the 250th anniversary. Michigan contributed approximately 160 troops, while Minnesota sent just over 100. Both states have also joined other Democratic-led states in a legal challenge to the ongoing deployment.
Minnesota announced it will withdraw its Guard members this Saturday — ahead of the originally scheduled July 23 return date. Air Force Maj. Nathan Wallin, deputy state public affairs officer for the Minnesota National Guard, said the early departure was due to “the successful conclusion of festivities” and made no reference to the concerns raised by advocacy groups.
In Kentucky, one Guard member was brought home before the main events even began after being redirected to a law enforcement task force “without the knowledge or consent” of the state’s governor or its Guard command, according to Scottie Ellis, communications director for Democratic Gov. Andy Beshear.
Keya Chatterjee, executive director of Free DC — an organization working toward statehood for the District of Columbia and one of the groups behind Tuesday’s letter — said Michigan Guard members have been spotted near metro stations and in neighborhoods “far from the Mall,” even as Whitmer had threatened to withdraw them. Free DC has built a network of volunteers tracking Guard activities across the city and held a protest last week at an event hosted by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth to honor the troops.
At that event, acting Attorney General Todd Blanche and senior White House adviser Stephen Miller both addressed the troops, speaking about crime in the city and the 250th anniversary security efforts. “It’s a righteous and beautiful mission,” Hegseth said.
The Pentagon directed questions to the Joint Task Force-District of Columbia, which did not respond to inquiries about the deployments.
Chatterjee told the Associated Press that Democratic governors who sent troops were “pretending they don’t know” their Guard members could be assigned to the Safe and Beautiful Task Force, created by a presidential executive order and focused on crime reduction in the city.
Michigan’s deployment is currently scheduled to run through August 31. Whitmer has threatened to end it early if additional reports surface of Michigan Guard members being used in the broader law enforcement mission. In a letter last week to the commanding general of the state’s National Guard, she requested that their duties be confined to the anniversary celebrations.
“I have not deployed — and will not deploy — the Michigan National Guard to support the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Mission,” she wrote.
Elizabeth Goitein, senior director of Liberty and National Security at the Brennan Center for Justice at New York University School of Law, also signed the letter to Whitmer. She said Democratic governors were essentially trusting the administration to keep their Guard forces in a limited role — a trust she believes is misplaced.
“They are trying to make a distinction here between what their Guard forces are doing in D.C.,” she said. “The problem is the administration is not making that distinction — and cannot be trusted.”
