Hegseth expands National Guard DC patrols with military vehicles and boats amid impeachment threats

Nov 5, 2026

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the National Guard to expand its military equipment presence in Washington, D.C., introducing Humvees, marked police cars, and river patrol boats under an October 29 memo. The mission costs $55 million monthly and faces fierce local political and legal opposition. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb and Mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George condemn the deployment as unconstitutional, while local leaders prepare to ask incoming governors to recall state guard units.

National Guard vehicle authorization

▪National Guard troops operating patrol boats in Washington, D.C. are authorized for perimeter security during anti-gang operations in Anacostia, provided federal officers are on board to execute arrests
▪Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth approved National Guard troops supporting anti-gang and drug operations in Washington, D.C. to carry rifles, while denying a U.S. Marshals Service request for helicopters and tire cleanup
▪The Pentagon maintained the maximum deployment cap for National Guard members in Washington, D.C. at 3,500, with nearly 3,100 troops actively deployed as of November 2026
▪Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth signed a memo authorizing the National Guard to use up to 60 marked patrol cars, military tactical vehicles, light towers, and boats for patrols

Legal challenges to deployment

▪The District of Columbia sued to stop the National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C., winning an initial lower court ruling before a federal appeals court panel allowed patrols to continue pending legal review
▪D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb stated in October 2026 that using the U.S. military to police domestic streets in the District of Columbia is illegal

DC crime mission background

▪President Trump expanded the National Guard's Washington, D.C. mission in August 2025 following an incident in which two West Virginia National Guard members were shot near the White House
▪National Guard troops in Washington, D.C. lack arrest powers and have primarily conducted neighborhood visibility patrols, trash pickup, leaf raking, and homeless encampment clearings