Norton Requests Information on Scope, Legal Parameters, Mission and Cost of National Guard Deployment in D.C.
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC) today wrote Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Chief of the National Guard Bureau General Steven Nordhaus opposing the deployment of National Guard troops in D.C., questioning its underlying legal basis, and requesting details about the scope, mission, legal parameters and cost of the deployment. Norton requested answers in writing by this Friday, August 29th.
“D.C. did not request or consent to the mass deployment of National Guard troops, who were recently authorized to carry weapons in the District despite D.C.’s crime rate being at a 30-year low,” Norton said. “A tenet of our democracy is that the military does not engage in civilian law enforcement, and it is not trained to do so in any case, which puts servicemembers and the public at risk. I urge you to end this gross abuse of power and withdraw the troops immediately.”
Norton’s letter follows.
August 25, 2025
The Honorable Pete Hegseth General Steven S. Nordhaus
Secretary Chief
Department of Defense National Guard Bureau
1300 Defense Pentagon 111 S. George Mason Dr.
Washington, DC 20301 Arlington, VA 22204
Dear Secretary Hegseth and General Nordhaus:
I strongly oppose the administration’s deployment of National Guard troops in the District of Columbia, which did not request or consent to this deployment. This deployment is a raw assertion of power over the more than 700,000 disenfranchised D.C. residents, a majority of whom are Black and Brown; a politicization of the military; a disservice to the members of the National Guard and their families; unwarranted; and possibly unlawful with respect to both the D.C. National Guard and the state National Guards. I request written answers to the following questions regarding this deployment no later than August 29, 2025.
(1) Do the troops have authority to enforce the laws of the United States or the District of Columbia? If so, which statute authorizes them to do so?
(2) Have the troops been deputized by a law enforcement agency? If so, which agency has deputized them?
(3) Do the troops have authority to stop, detain or arrest people? If so, which statute authorizes them to do so?
(4) What is the use of force policy for the troops?
(5) What training have the troops received?
(6) What is the mission of the troops?
(7) Are the troops subject to the laws of the District of Columbia?
(8) As of the date of your response, how much has this deployment cost?
A tenet of our democracy is that the military does not engage in civilian law enforcement, and it is not trained to do so in any case, which puts servicemembers and the public at risk. I urge you to end this gross abuse of power and withdraw the troops immediately.
Cc: Brig. General Leland D. Blanchard II, Acting Commanding General, District of Columbia National Guard
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