thehill.com
Most states planning to withdraw National Guard troops from DC this fall
Nearly half the roughly 2,450 National Guard troops deployed to Washington, D.C., amid President Trump's crackdown on crime are reportedly set to leave the city later this fall.
Authorities in Georgia, Mississippi, South Carolina, Ohio and West Virginia — which have sent a combined 1,131 troops to contribute to Trump’s federal law enforcement initiative — have set target dates for their withdrawal in late October and November, The Associated Press reported .
A spokesperson for the Joint Task Force-District of Columbia declined to comment to The Hill, directing questions to state governor’s offices.
The National Guard has been activated in the nation's capital since August, when Trump issued an executive order declaring a crime emergency that placed local police under the president’s authority for 30 days under the city's Home Rule Act , with the Guardsmen to provide a presence around Washington.
But unlike typical National Guard domestic missions, such as helping in crises like hurricanes, wildfires or tornados, the troops sent to Washington largely patrolled popular tourist destinations such as the National Mall. They also have been assisting with “ beautification projects ” including raking leaves, trash pickup and laying mulch for the U.S. Park Service.
As of Thursday, 2,453 troops were in the city, including 971 from the D.C. National Guard, and 1,482 from eight states.
The dates for the out-of-state Guardsmen could potentially be extended, but the planned withdrawals are a sign that the troops into the nation’s capital may greatly diminish as Trump looks to send National Guard soldiers into other U.S. cities , including Portland and Chicago. Both states have taken legal action to try to stop any deployment.
National Guard troops were spotted outside the Windy City and were seen patrolling the streets of Memphis, Tenn., for the first time on Friday.
The other states with troops in the capital, including Alabama, Louisiana and South Dakota, have not said when they would pull their troops from the capitol.
South Carolina, which has 40 of its Guardsmen in Washington after initially sending 200, plans to withdraw by the end of October, according to the AP.
Ohio, Georgia, Mississippi and West Virginia, meanwhile, are set to pull their troops by Nov. 30.
The D.C. National Guard deployment will continue at least through December after its orders were extended in September, though D.C.'s attorney general brought a lawsuit challenging the deployment, with a hearing scheduled for Oct. 24.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, meanwhile, has said that the out of state National Guard troops have “not been an efficient use of those resources.”
Asked about the planned withdrawals, the White House didn't immediately respond due to what it claimed were staff shortages related to the ongoing government shutdown .
