One Year of Military Occupation in Washington, D.C.: A Call for Self-Governance

• One year after the launch of the Trump administration's "Safe and Beautiful Task Force," approximately 5,000 National Guard troops from 15 states are deployed in Washington, D.C., with some slated to stay until 2029.
• A Center for American Progress study found the deployment has had no measurable impact on violent crime, and the troops lack training for civilian policing.
• The deployment costs roughly $3 million per day, adding to a record-breaking $1.5 trillion military budget that bypasses transparent auditing.

The Reality of Occupation

• The city faces a saturation of federal agencies, including the FBI, ICE, and Secret Service, which locals characterize as an unwanted exercise of power over a population denied full democratic representation.
• Veterans involved with organizations like Common Defense and About Face highlight that military presence often serves as a "show of force" rather than a genuine security measure.
• Critics link the domestic occupation to the broader "imperialist boomerang" of U.S. foreign policy, noting the administration's funding of wars and conflicts in Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran.

Community Resistance and Alternatives

• D.C. residents and activists have actively protested the presence of troops, disrupting cabinet photo-ops and engaging troops in conversations about local needs versus military spending.
• Activists advocate for a shift from a war economy—which the article notes has seen a significant decline in contractor employment despite rising Pentagon budgets—to a "care economy" focused on health, housing, and education.
• The community is responding by deepening local networks through skill-sharing, documenting troop activities, and building grassroots infrastructure to support neighborhood safety without militarization.