National Guard could stay in Washington, DC, through summer 2026: Lawsuit

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Source: ABC News

October 21, 2025, 8:59 PM


The National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C., could be extended into the summer of 2026, according to a new court filing and emails of National Guard leaders obtained by ABC News.

The documents, filed last week to the District of Columbia attorney general in the ongoing lawsuit against President Donald Trump and the D.C. National Guard, show federal officials intend to prepare for the winter months and beyond.

Brig. Gen. Leland Blanchard II, the interim commander of the Washington, D.C., mission, wrote in an email to officers that the mission -- which lapses at the end of November -- could be extended yet again. Blanchard wrote that the team should "plan and prepare for a long-term persistent presence" in the District.

"We know that America 250 occurs this summer, and that will be a factor in determining the future of the mission," Blanchard wrote, referring to a celebration of America’s 250th anniversary on July 4, 2026. Some 2,400 Guardsmen from the D.C. Guard and eight states are deputized as federal law enforcement. Governors from those eight states volunteered their Guardsmen for the mission and could choose to rotate their servicemembers out.

Read more: https://abcnews.go.com/US/national-guard-stay-washington-dc-summer-2026-lawsuit/story?id=126739403

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Link to D.C. Attorney General (OAG) FILING (PDF) - https://wjla.com/resources/pdf/83f203c2-b186-4719-9381-e05d763d7b30-SupplementalBriefSupportingDCmotherforPreliminaryInjuction.pdf#toolbar=0&navpanes=0&scrollbar=0

Additional info here - https://wjla.com/news/local/dc-national-guard-troops-washington-attorney-general-long-term-wintering-states-local-trump-military-strain-public-military-wintering-blanchard