The department accused the council of sending ‘politically-motivated’ letters to various governors.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) sent a letter criticizing the Council of the District of Columbia’s demand to remove National Guard troops deployed in the American capital.
Washington constituents now live in a city that has “far less violence and fear” due to the National Guard and the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, according to the Aug. 12 letter from the Office of the Deputy Attorney General, shared by the DOJ in a post on X.
“Let me be clear, your council has no power to demand that governors remove their brave men and women from serving in uniform in our Nation’s capital,” the letter said. “Your politically-motivated letter is impotent theatrics not worth the paper it’s written on, and D.C. is a much safer place no matter what you say.”
According to the DOJ social media post, the council had sent letters to 10 governors whose National Guard members are currently serving in Washington, demanding that the troops be withdrawn.
In a July 22 letter to Alabama Gov. Kay Ivey, the council said that around 5,148 National Guard personnel were deployed in Washington under the premise that their presence was necessary for public safety. However, the deployment since August 2025 has only resulted in a “modest decrease” in property crime and “no measurable reduction” in violent crime, the letter said.
The council alleged that millions in taxpayer dollars were being spent on National Guard deployment without a demonstrable violent-crime benefit, which it said amounts to a misuse of taxpayer funds.
“Extending the deployment raises serious concerns about mission creep, the militarization of civilian spaces, the erosion of local democratic control, and potential interference in the peaceful transfer of power following upcoming elections,” the letter said.
The DOJ’s Aug. 12 letter dismissed the council’s claims of the National Guard deployment having no benefit, stating that the murder rate in the capital has “dropped substantially” in tandem with the troop deployment.
On Aug. 11, 2025, President Donald Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington and directed “significant federal resources” to protect life in the city, with the results pointing to “historic drops in violence,” the DOJ said.
The National Guard has played a “pivotal role” in that effort by increasing officer visibility, protecting critical infrastructure, and supporting life-saving law enforcement operations, according to the DOJ letter.
“The D.C. Council has no role in managing the brave men and women protecting our Nation’s capital. You should withdraw your letters,” the DOJ stated.
