Photos by Adam Nguyen
By ADAM NGUYEN
WASHINGTON – It was late afternoon at Washington’ s Union Station, just before the evening rush of commuters descended upon the city’ s Beaux-Arts rail hub. At the top of an escalator, three National Guardsmen stood casually with rifles across their chests. Their boots tapped the marble floor with steady rhythm, cutting through the chatter of travelers and the metallic voice of train announcements. A woman glanced quickly before moving past. A man stopped to snap a photo of the soldiers in camouflage clothing. They are members of a force of 2,300 guardsmen whose deployment into the nation’ s capital has become as much a part of the city life as the turnstiles, food stalls, and crowded corridors they guard at Union Station.
Scenes like this have played out across the District of Columbia since August 11, when President Donald Trump declared a public safety emergency in the nation’ s capital. In doing so, he seized control of the Metropolitan Police department and ordered National Guardsmen onto city streets. The deployment included not only D. C. Guard troops but also units sent from six Republican-led states. Their assignments range from patrolling rail stations, federal buildings and neighborhood parks, to clearing homeless encampments, and picking up trash.
For many residents, the presence of these troops is difficult to ignore. Soldiers carrying M4 assault rifles at food courts and pistols in local parks is a chilling reality. While some people have welcomed the visibility of armed soldiers on the streets of the nation’ s capital, others have expressed unease, or resentment.
Mixed reactions across the city
To be sure, public sentiment is divided. Some residents point to crime statistics showing that violent and property offenses dropped after Trump sent troops into Washington. They argue the soldiers help deter carjackings and robberies, especially near Metro stations. Others counter that crime had already been declining before Trump’ s emergency order and that attributing the shift to the Guards is misleading.
In Ward 8, Guardsmen joined community leaders in a cleanup effort, spreading mulch and clearing trash in a public park. For some, it was a welcome sign that soldiers were willing to engage with people in the neighborhoods. For others, it was a staged gesture that distracted from deeper needs. One resident said,“ We do not need( camouflaged troops) to pick up leaves. We need long-term investment.”
Local officials have voiced stronger criticism. Mayor Muriel Bowser described the deployment as an erosion of the city’ s elected leaders’ ability to manage its affairs. The D. C. attorney general filed suit, arguing that Trump’ s order sending National Guardsmen onto
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