West Virginia National Guard deployment to DC could last through November 

by Amelia Ferrell Knisely, West Virginia Watch
September 23, 2025

West Virginia National Guard personnel deployed to Washington, D.C. could be there until the end of November, but there’s no definite end to the operations. 

More than 300 members of the West Virginia National Guard have been in Washington, D.C., for more than a month as part of President Donald Trump’s unprecedented initiative “to restore cleanliness and safety” to the nation’s capital. 

“Currently, we are expecting all members of the West Virginia National Guard deployed for Operation DC Safe & Beautiful to be released from active duty prior to Nov. 30, 2025,” a spokesperson for the National Guard told West Virginia Watch in an email. 

“As with all military operations, that date may change based on operational needs as they occur. Our Guard is proud to support the President’s initiative to keep our Nation’s Capital safe and to demonstrate our commitment to a strong and secure America,” the statement said. 

Gov. Patrick Morrisey, a staunch ally of Trump, ordered West Virginia National Guard members to Washington, D.C. in August following a request from the president. The deployment is federally funded, according to the governor’s office. Other Republican-led states, including Tenenssee and Ohio, have sent troops to the capital.  

There are around 2,500 guard members stationed throughout Washington, D.C, and they’re not authorized to make arrests. Troops have been patrolling alongside local police while also removing trash, mulching and removing graffiti in the city, Axios reports.

Last week, West Virginia Attorney General J.B. McCuskey co-led an amicus brief in support of the deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C.

“The President has the authority, and the duty, to protect our nation’s capital,” McCuskey said in a statement. “The lawlessness in Washington, D.C., the result of years of soft-on-crime policies, was putting our nation at risk and finally, we have a President willing to step up to secure it.”

Violent crime is declining in the city, hitting a 30-year low in 2024, according to the Justice Department. 

Attorneys general from 22 other states are pushing back on Trump’s actions, supporting D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s lawsuit challenging the deployment of National Guard troops to the nation’s capital.

The attorneys general argue the deployment infringes on the police powers reserved to states and localities, and states need their national guards to respond to natural disasters and security at high-profile events.

Trump’s deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C. is estimated to cost taxpayers roughly $200 million, reports USA Today. That figure doesn’t include the price of deploying personnel from additional states.

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