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National Guard troops patrolling the United States capital, Washington, DC, astatine the absorption of US President Donald Trump person begun carrying firearms, the subject said connected Sunday.
The deployment, which began connected August 11, 2025, pursuing Trump’s executive order declaring a transgression emergency, has been met with protests and interest from residents. Under the law, the president tin support power implicit policing successful the superior for up to 30 days.
Pentagon officials confirmed to Fox News that up to 1,700 National Guard members are acceptable to mobilise successful 19 states successful the coming weeks to enactment President Trump’s anti-immigration and transgression crackdown.
What is the National Guard?
The National Guard is simply a reserve subject unit successful the US that tin beryllium mobilised for progressive work erstwhile needed. It responds to home emergencies similar earthy disasters and civilian unrest and supports subject operations abroad.
It has 2 branches, the Army National Guard and the Air National Guard, with astir 431,000 members, making it the second-largest subdivision of the US military.
It is composed of part-time soldiers and airmen who typically bid 1 play a period and 2 weeks a twelvemonth portion holding civilian jobs.
(Al Jazeera)How does the National Guard disagree from the US military?
The National Guard is 1 of the oldest subject institutions successful the US, tracing its origins backmost to 1636, predating the founding of the US successful 1776.
It grew retired of assemblage militias, which were organised to support section communities, and implicit clip evolved into the modern National Guard structure.
Each US authorities and territory – arsenic good arsenic Washington, DC – has its ain National Guard unit. These units person a dual role, serving some authorities and national governments.
In contrast, the regular US subject is simply a full-time national force, with active-duty work members focused connected operations astatine location and abroad, serving nether the president arsenic commander-in-chief.
Who tin deploy the National Guard?
While the president oregon authorities governors tin telephone connected the National Guard, astir deployments are ordered by a state’s politician to respond to section emergencies, specified arsenic earthy disasters, civilian unrest, oregon nationalist wellness crises.
President Donald Trump (centre) and First Lady Melania Trump perceive to California Governor Gavin Newsom aft arriving connected Air Force One astatine Los Angeles International Airport successful Los Angeles, California, January 24, 2025 [Mark Schiefelbein/AP Photo]Even without a governor’s request, the president tin federalise the National Guard for nationalist missions. This happened earlier this twelvemonth successful Los Angeles contempt the objections of Governor Gavin Newsom of California, the archetypal specified federalisation without a governor’s consent since the Watts riots of 1965.
For what reasons tin the National Guard beryllium deployed?
The National Guard tin beryllium deployed for a wide scope of home and national missions, from catastrophe alleviation astatine location to operations abroad, including:
Domestic missions:
- Disaster alleviation (hurricanes, floods, wildfires, etc)
- Support during civilian unrest oregon section emergencies
- Search and rescue, aesculapian assistance, and logistical support
Federal missions:
- Reinforce active-duty forces during nationalist crises
- Deploy overseas for combat oregon peacekeeping missions
- Support national subject operations astatine location and abroad
When antecedently has the National Guard been deployed?
Throughout its agelong history, the National Guard has been federally mobilised dozens of times for US conflicts and nationalist emergencies, and activated hundreds, if not thousands, of times astatine the authorities level for section and determination crises.
Some of the astir notable National Guard activations successful caller US past include:
Little Rock integration (1957) – Landmark civilian rights infinitesimal with national vs authorities standoff
In 1957, the Little Rock integration situation unfolded erstwhile 9 African American students, the “Little Rock Nine”, attempted to participate an all-white schoolhouse successful the US authorities of Arkansas. The state’s politician utilized the National Guard to artifact them, prompting President Dwight Eisenhower to federalise the National Guard and nonstop national troops, creating a defining clash betwixt authorities absorption and national authorization implicit schoolhouse desegregation.
The National Guard deployed successful Little Rock, Arkansas, 1957 [File]Ole Miss integration (1962) – Civil rights question event
In 1962, convulsive riots erupted erstwhile James Meredith, the archetypal African American student, attempted to enroll astatine the University of Mississippi. President John F Kennedy sent national troops and federalised the Mississippi National Guard to enforce his admission, marking a large milestone successful the US civilian rights movement.
Selma to Montgomery marches (1965) – Pivotal successful Voting Rights Act
In 1965, civilian rights activists marched from Selma to Montgomery, Alabama, demanding voting rights for African Americans. After convulsive attacks connected demonstrators during “Bloody Sunday”, President Lyndon B Johnson federalised the Alabama National Guard to support marchers. The marches proved transformative and straight influenced the transition of the Voting Rights Act of 1965.
American civilian rights campaigner Martin Luther King Jr and his woman Coretta Scott King (centre right) pb a Black voting rights march from Selma, Alabama, to the authorities superior successful Montgomery connected March 30, 1965 [William Lovelace/Express/Getty Images]Detroit riots (1967) – Massive municipality unrest with wide destruction
In July 1967, riots erupted successful Detroit, Michigan aft a constabulary raid connected an unlicensed bar. The unrest rapidly escalated into citywide violence, looting, and arson, leaving 43 dormant and hundreds injured. The Michigan National Guard was deployed alongside national troops to reconstruct order, marking 1 of the deadliest and astir destructive municipality uprisings successful US history.
Firefighters effort to power blazes aft riots successful Detroit, Michigan, wherever hundreds of fires were reported and 5 days of unit would permission 33 Black radical and 10 achromatic radical dead, and much than 1,400 buildings burned [File: July 25, 1967, AP Photo]Kent State shooting (1970) – National attention, 4 students killed
In May 1970, during protests against the Vietnam War astatine Kent State University successful Ohio, the National Guard opened occurrence connected unarmed students, sidesplitting 4 and wounding nine. The Kent State shooting became a defining infinitesimal of the anti-war question and a awesome of the heavy divisions wrong American society.
Rodney King riots (1992) – Large-scale civilian unrest and destruction
In April 1992, pursuing the acquittal of constabulary officers filmed beating Rodney King, Los Angeles, California erupted successful days of unrest marked by arson, looting and violence. The National Guard was deployed alongside national troops to reconstruct order, making it 1 of the largest instances of civilian disturbance successful modern US history.
Rodney King makes a connection astatine a Los Angeles quality conference, wherever helium asked for an extremity to unit [File: May 1, 1992 [David Longstreath/AP Photo]Ferguson protests (2014) – National Guard deployed pursuing unrest
In 2014, the National Guard was deployed successful Ferguson, Missouri, aft protests erupted implicit the constabulary sidesplitting of Michael Brown. National Guard units assisted section authorities successful controlling unrest and maintaining nationalist information during a play of wide hostility and demonstrations.
Baltimore protests (2015) – National Guard deployed pursuing civilian unrest
In 2015, the National Guard was deployed to Baltimore, Maryland aft the decease of Freddie Gray successful constabulary custody. Guard units supported section authorities successful managing protests, maintaining order, and responding to unrest crossed the city.
Attorney Malik Shabazz leads demonstrators successful chants against Baltimore Police officers during an April 22, 2015 protestation against constabulary brutality and the decease of Freddie Gray extracurricular the Western District presumption successful the Sandtown vicinity successful Baltimore, Maryland [File]Hurricane Katrina (2005) – Deadly earthy disaster
In 2005, the National Guard was deployed crossed Florida, Mississippi, Alabama, and Louisiana to assistance communities affected by Hurricane Katrina, 1 of the deadliest and astir destructive hurricanes successful US history. Guard units helped with rescue operations, evacuations, and alleviation efforts during the wide devastation.
Floodwaters from Hurricane Katrina capable the streets adjacent downtown New Orleans, Louisiana, connected August 30, 2005 [File: David J Phillip/AP Photo]COVID-19 pandemic (2020) – Nationwide deployment for wellness emergency
In 2020, National Guard units were deployed crossed the US to assistance with the COVID-19 pandemic, providing enactment for testing, vaccination and aesculapian logistics.
George Floyd protests (2020) – Nationwide deployment successful effect to unrest
In 2020, National Guard units were deployed crossed the US to assistance section authorities during protests pursuing the decease of George Floyd, a Black antheral who was killed successful constabulary custody successful Minneapolis, Minnesota connected May 25.
Demonstrators march connected Constitution Avenue adjacent the Dirksen Senate Office Building during a protestation against constabulary brutality and racism connected June 6, 2020 successful Washington, DC [Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images/AFP]Capitol riots (2021) – Federal deployment
In January 2021, National Guard units were deployed to Washington, DC, pursuing an attempted insurrection astatine the US Capitol by Trump’s supporters aft helium mislaid the 2020 US statesmanlike predetermination to rival Joe Biden. Guard unit assisted national authorities successful securing the Capitol, restoring order, and protecting lawmakers and unit during the attack.
Thousands of supporters loyal to President Donald Trump rally astatine the US Capitol successful Washington, DC connected January 6, 2021 [File: Jose Luis Magana/AP Photo]
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