200 Mississippi National Guard troops to deploy to DC

Desmond Milligan · August 18

JACKSON, Miss. (WJTV) – Governor Tate Reeves (R-Miss.) approved the deployment of 200 Mississippi National Guard soldiers to Washington, D.C.

“I’ve approved the deployment of approximately 200 Mississippi National Guard Soldiers to Washington, D.C., to support President Trump’s effort to return law and order to our nation’s capital. Crime is out of control there, and it’s clear something must be done to combat it. Americans deserve a safe capital city that we can all be proud of. I know the brave men and women of our National Guard will do an excellent job enhancing public safety and supporting law enforcement,” said Reeves.

The deployment is part of the Trump administration’s effort to overhaul policing in Washington through a federal crackdown on crime and homelessness.

The moves came as protesters pushed back on federal law enforcement and National Guard troops fanning out in the heavily Democratic city following Trump’s executive order federalizing local police forces and activating about 800 District of Columbia National Guard members.

Three Republican-led states to send hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington

Federal agents have appeared in some of the city’s most highly trafficked neighborhoods, garnering a mix of praise, pushback and alarm from local residents and leaders across the country.

City leaders, who are obliged to cooperate with Trump’s order under the federal laws that direct the district’s local governance, have sought to work with the administration, though they have bristled at the scope of the president’s takeover.

On Friday, the administration reversed course on an order that aimed to place the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration as an “emergency police commissioner” after the district’s top lawyer sued.

After a court hearing, Trump’s attorney general, Pam Bondi, issued a memo directing the Metropolitan Police Department to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement regardless of any city law.

City officials say they are evaluating how to best comply.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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