National Guard called in for DC ‘crime emergency’ ends up spending the day picking up trash outside the White House
The National Guard, called into Washington, D.C. under former President Donald Trump’s declaration of a “crime emergency,” has been spotted performing unexpected duties — collecting trash in the nation’s capital.
On Tuesday, troops wearing camouflage uniforms layered with neon vests and yellow gloves were seen clearing litter around Lafayette Park, just outside the White House. Officials confirmed the military presence was part of a broader “beautification and restoration mission” covering Lafayette Square, the National Mall, and the Tidal Basin.
According to the Joint Task Force–DC Office, 2,234 active guardsmen are now stationed across the city. Of these, 929 are from the D.C. National Guard, while 1,305 were brought in from states including Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, Tennessee, and West Virginia.
Trump has defended the deployment, claiming it was necessary to combat “complete and total lawlessness,” despite crime statistics showing D.C. hit a 30-year low earlier this year. Officials have said the National Guard’s work is part of an overarching plan with 40 or more assigned tasks across the district.
Thousands of Arrests, Legal Challenges, and Backlash
Since Trump vowed to tackle crime earlier this month, the White House says over 1,000 arrests have been made in the capital, many involving suspected undocumented immigrants. Of those, 465 arrests were confirmed in Washington since the start of the crackdown on August 7.
However, critics argue the initiative is overreaching and unlawful. U.S. Magistrate Judge Zia Faruqui sharply rebuked federal prosecutors, calling the government’s approach “reckless” and “not legally acceptable.”
“We don’t just charge people criminally, throw them in the jail for a few weeks and then bring them in here and say, ‘Oops, my bad,’” Faruqui said from the bench Monday. “I have never ever in my life seen something close to the illegality of this search.”
The administration is also preparing to mobilize 1,700 additional National Guard troops across 19 states in the coming weeks to reinforce Trump’s immigration and anti-crime crackdown.
Divided Reactions in D.C.
On the ground, residents have expressed mixed feelings about the military’s presence. In Southeast D.C., where the city recorded its first homicide in nearly two weeks on Tuesday, locals told NBC News the deployment has not made them feel safer.
Ray, a 77-year-old resident, said, “Police show up only when something like that happens. I haven’t seen much change since Trump’s policy went into effect.”
Others, like 56-year-old Brian Williams, welcomed the increased presence, noting, “I really don’t have a problem with police presence. It’s much-needed in certain neighborhoods of the district … but the ones that need it most don’t always see it.”
Meanwhile, residents in one of D.C.’s largest Latino neighborhoods reported a rise in immigration raids since the crackdown began, sparking fears that the initiative is being used to target immigrant communities.
“People are walking around scared […] I’ve never seen the streets so empty,” one resident told the BBC.
On Monday, the Associated Press reported that some National Guard units patrolling the capital have started carrying firearms.
