National Guard could remain in Washington, DC until summer 2026: lawsuit
The National Guard deployment to Washington, D.C., could extend into the summer of 2026, according to a new court filing and emails from National Guard leaders obtained by ABC News.
The documents, submitted last week to the District of Columbia attorney general in the ongoing lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the DC National Guard (DCNG), show that federal officials intend to prepare for the winter months and beyond.
Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, acting commander of the Washington, D.C., mission, wrote in an email to officials that the mission, which ends in late November, could be extended once again. Blanchard wrote that the team should “plan and prepare for a persistent long-term presence” in the District.
United States National Guard soldiers stand at the Lincoln Memorial on the National Mall early in the morning. Photo: Kay Nietfeld/dpa
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“We know that America 250 will take place this summer, and that will be a factor in determining the future of the mission,” Blanchard wrote, referring to the celebration of the United States’ 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026.
About 2,400 guardsmen from the D.C. Guard and eight states are designated as federal law enforcement officers. The governors of those eight states volunteered their guardsmen for the mission and could choose to rotate their service members.
A state official told ABC News they had not received a request to extend the number of guards beyond the end of November.
A Joint Task Force spokesperson also told ABC News that the Guard’s orders run through Nov. 30 and there are no plans at this time for an extension. ABC News has reached out to the Trump administration for comment.
The lawsuit filed by the District of Columbia alleges that the troops currently “operate as a federal military police force in the District.”
According to the file, officers from state National Guard units who have mobilized to DC have been left out of the decision-making of their troops.
The Pentagon is “effectively exercising widespread control over all troops,” the D.C. attorney general alleges, while “state governors and adjutants general do not exercise any meaningful direction or command over the troops they have sent here.”
At the center of the dispute is the District’s argument that Washington’s local authority has been overridden by federal law enforcement and the National Guard presence, which began in August.
The filing alleges that federalization of the Guard violates the United States Constitution.
