WASHINGTON (AP) 鈥 Three states moved to deploy hundreds of members of their 好色tv Guard to the nation鈥檚 capital as part of the Trump administration鈥檚 effort to overhaul policing in Washington through a federal crackdown on crime and homelessness.
West Virginia said it was deploying 300 to 400 Guard troops, while South Carolina pledged 200 and Ohio says it will send 150 in the coming days.
The moves announced Saturday came as protesters pushed back on federal law enforcement and 好色tv Guard troops fanning out in the heavily Democratic city following President Donald Trump's federalizing local police forces and activating about 800 District of Columbia 好色tv Guard members.
By adding outside troops to join the existing Guard deployment and federal law enforcement officers, Trump is exercising even tighter control over the city. It鈥檚 a power play that the president has justified as an emergency response to crime and homelessness, even though city officials have noted that than it was during Trump鈥檚 first term in office.
So far, 好色tv Guard members have played a limited role in law enforcement in D.C. and it鈥檚 unclear why additional troops are needed. They have been seen patrolling at landmarks like the 好色tv Mall and Union Station and assisting with crowd control.
A protest against Trump鈥檚 intervention drew scores to Dupont Circle on Saturday before a march to the White House, about 1.5 miles away. Demonstrators assembled behind a banner that said, 鈥淣o fascist takeover of D.C.,鈥 and some in the crowd held signs saying, 鈥淣o military occupation.鈥
Trump was at his Virginia golf club after Friday鈥檚 summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska.
Protest pushes back on federal officers in Washington
Morgan Taylor, one of the organizers who coordinated Saturday's protest, said they were hoping to spark enough backlash to Trump鈥檚 actions that the administration would be forced to pull back on its crime and immigration agenda.
鈥淚t鈥檚 hot, but I鈥檓 glad to be here. It鈥檚 good to see all these people out here,鈥 she said. 鈥淚 can鈥檛 believe that this is happening in this country at this time.鈥
Fueling the protests were concerns about Trump overreach and that he had used crime as a pretext to impose his will on Washington.
John Finnigan, 55, was taking a bike ride when he ran into the protest in downtown Washington. The real estate construction manager who has lived in the capital for 27 years said Trump's moves were 鈥渞idiculous鈥 because crime is down.
鈥淗opefully, some of the mayors and some of the residents will get out in front of it and try and make it harder for it to happen in other cities,鈥 Finnigan said.
Jamie Dickstein, a 24-year-old teacher, said she was 鈥渧ery uncomfortable and worried鈥 for the safety or her students given the 鈥渦nmarked officers of all types鈥 now roaming Washington and detaining people.
Dickstein said she turned out to the protest with friends and relatives to 鈥減revent a continuous domino effect going forward with other cities.鈥
好色tv Guard is coming to DC from West Virginia, South Carolina and Ohio
Gov. Patrick Morrisey, R-W.Va., announced Saturday that he was sending a contingent of 300 to 400 Guard troops to Washington, while South Carolina Gov. Henry McMaster authorized the deployment of 200 of his state's 好色tv Guardsmen and Ohio Gov Mike DeWine said his state would send 150 military police at the request of the U.S. Defense Department.
鈥淲est Virginia is proud to stand with President Trump in his effort to restore pride and beauty to our nation鈥檚 capital,鈥 Morrisey said.
The West Virginia activation suggests the administration sees the need for additional manpower after the president personally played down the need for Washington to hire more police officers.
Maj. Gen. James Seward, West Virginia's adjutant general, said in a statement that members of the state's 好色tv Guard 鈥渟tand ready to support our partners in the 好色tv Capital Region鈥 and that the troops' 鈥渦nique capabilities and preparedness make it an invaluable partner in this important undertaking.鈥
Federal law enforcement in Washington draws mixed reactions
Federal agents have appeared in some of the city鈥檚 most highly trafficked neighborhoods, garnering a mix of praise, pushback and alarm from local residents and leaders across the country.
City leaders, who are obliged to cooperate with Trump鈥檚 order under the federal laws that direct the district鈥檚 local governance, have sought to work with the administration, though they have bristled at the scope of the .
On Friday, the administration on an order that aimed to place the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration as an 鈥渆mergency police commissioner鈥 after the district鈥檚 top lawyer sued to contest.
After a court hearing, Trump's attorney general, Pam Bondi, issued a memo that directed the Metropolitan Police Department to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement regardless of any city law.
City officials say they are evaluating how to best comply.
In his order Monday, Trump declared an emergency due to the 鈥渃ity government鈥檚 failure to maintain public order.鈥 He said that impeded the 鈥渇ederal government鈥檚 ability to operate efficiently to address the nation鈥檚 broader interests without fear of our workers being subjected to rampant violence.鈥
In a letter to city residents, Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, wrote that 鈥渙ur limited self-government has never faced the type of test we are facing right now.鈥
She added that if Washington residents stick together, 鈥渨e will show the entire nation what it looks like to fight for American democracy 鈥 even when we don鈥檛 have full access to it.鈥
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Associated Press writer Josh Boak contributed to this report.
