Georgia Gov. Brian Kemp said Friday he plans to send more than 300 National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., to support President Donald Trump's expanded use of federal forces in the nation's capital.
Kemp's office said about 300 soldiers will deploy in mid-September, while 16 support staff were dispatched earlier this week, reports The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. They will join roughly 2,200 Guard members already in Washington, including 1,300 from at least six other Republican-led states.
The deployment is separate from 75 Georgia Guard soldiers and airmen assigned to provide administrative and logistical support to Trump's immigration enforcement initiatives.
Kemp said he and the president "share a commitment to upholding public safety and are grateful to these brave Guardsmen and women, for the families that support them, and for their dedication to service above self."
The increased Guard presence has drawn legal challenges and criticism from Democrats. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit this week calling the buildup a "military occupation" that unlawfully transforms federal troops into local police.
The dispute comes as Trump seeks greater authority to direct law enforcement in Democrat-led cities.
He has moved to take control of Washington's police department and has threatened to send Guard troops to Chicago and other urban centers. Earlier this week, a federal judge ruled the administration acted illegally when it used Guard troops in Los Angeles during protests over immigration raids, but that decision applied only to California.
Critics argue that Trump's approach erodes the nation's tradition of limiting military involvement in civilian policing. Kansas Gov. Laura Kelly, chair of the Democratic Governors Association, urged Republican governors to "reject the temptation to use their soldiers to reinforce a dangerous, politically motivated agenda."
Kemp, however, told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution he views such missions as consistent with the Guard's responsibilities.
"Certainly, if we're asked to do that — we stay in communication with the White House on issues like that — we'll be glad to talk to him about that mission," he said.
Georgia joins Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, Tennessee, South Carolina, and West Virginia in sending National Guard troops to the capital. About 1,000 members of the D.C. Guard are also active.
Opponents note Washington's violent crime rate has declined in recent months, even as Trump emphasizes surging crime. FBI statistics show Georgia's violent crimes fell 10.5% in 2024, including a 5.1% decrease in homicides. Atlanta officials report crime in the city is down 8% from last year.
Mayor Muriel Bowser of Washington, once a sharp critic of federal intervention, has credited the Guard with helping reduce carjackings and gun offenses. But she also warned of a "break in trust" between residents and police under federal control.
Georgia's Guard has been frequently mobilized in recent years, from disaster relief and COVID-19 response to border patrols and overseas combat tours. Kemp said he is confident the troops can balance missions in Washington and at home.
"As they have demonstrated again and again," he said, "our Georgia Guard is well equipped to fulfill both this mission and its obligations to the people of our state."
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
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