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The White House says that the activism of the National Guard in 19 states is spread over President Donald Trump’s Washington, other cities of DC’s federal crime.
The administration is ready to mobilize up to 1,700 National Guardmen in 19 states in the coming weeks to assist the Homeland Security Department with a nationwide rift on illegal immigration.
A White House official told Fox News that the operation was initially declared last month and is not associated with possible federal intervention in crime-hit cities.
The National Guard Troops stood at the union station, below the road from the US Capital, a few days after being stationed in the city. (Fox News Digital/Emma Woodhead)
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The official said late Friday, “It is not new nor is it associated with the President’s efforts to address a violent crime in DC.”
“The DOD announced last month that the National Guard Troops would assist DHS to process illegal aliens on snow facilities with clerical support and other logistic functions. This is different from the federal inter -crime crime crack.”
Trump activated the National Guard at Washington, DC, earlier this month as part of the attempt to reduce violent crime in the country’s capital.
Avoiding the success of the operation – at least 465 arrests have been made – Trump has indicated that it intends to wider the DC mission in other cities. “We are going to make it safe, and we are going to other places again,” he told federal agents and guard soldiers on Thursday at a DC Patrol Center.
On Friday, Trump said, “I think Chicago will be our next. And then we will help with New York.”
The White House has now clarified that the operations are different.
The official said, “The National Guard DC is not the same for the President’s actions to assist ICE processing with clerical and logical functions in many states,” the official said.
President Donald Trump talks with reporters at the Oval office of the White House on August 22, 2025 in Washington, DC Trump said he was considering broadening his federal crime cracks for Chicago and New York. (Jacqueline Martin/AP Photo)
The deployment of 1,700 National Guardmen was first declared in the Pentagon Press Release on 25 July. Their roles include collecting personal data, fingerprinting, DNA swabing and photographing prisoners to focus on ice agents enforcement.
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Under the Posse Comitatatus Act of 1878, the use of federal armed forces for civil law enforcement is generally prohibited. But the National Guard title 32 will work under Section 502F Authority, which does not apply to Pose Committees.
At the request of DHS, in July, Defense Secretary PT Hegaseth approved hundreds of additional forces for ICE support and switching the current approval in the title 32 from the title 10.
“We used to understand the needs of ICE to be more administrative in nature at that time, as the plan continued, working with our colleagues, while working with our colleagues, it became clear that ICE needed to do something different.”
Meanwhile, according to a joint task force spokesperson, 2,279 National Guard soldiers and Airmen from Washington, DC and six states have already been collected in the capital, training has been completed.
The spokesperson described the figures as “estimates”, but said they are the most accurate available.
Washington DC has made at least 465 arrests since lack of crime. (Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)
Under the Direct President Authority, the members of the guard have been posted at all eight wards at monuments, posts and traffic stops, with a mission to prevent crime and maintain a visual security appearance.
In Hegseth’s Authority, those guard members can now carry weapons if needed. But unlike states, where guard force governors fall under command, they work under the Direct President Authority in DC.
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National Guard Forces Washington, DC are patrolling metro stations, union stations, national malls and US Park Police along with attendance patrolling.
Officials have also linked the DC operation to beautification efforts before next year’s 250th Independence Day celebrations.
Trump has indicated that the guard may live in the city for an extended period and this mission may expand to other parts of the country.
