Gov. Brian Kemp announced Friday that 316 members of the Georgia National Guard will deploy in Washington D.C. in aid of President Donald Trump’s controversial crackdown on crime in the nation’s capital.
A press release from the governor’s office said a contingent of 316 Guardsmen (16 support staff and approximately 300 soldiers) will mobilize in and around the nation’s capital to “restore public safety following the president’s executive order declaring a crime emergency in the District of Columbia.”
“Georgia is proud to stand with the Trump administration in its mission to ensure the security and beauty of our nation’s capital,” Kemp said in the release. “We 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. As they have demonstrated again and again, our Georgia Guard is well equipped to fulfill both this mission and its obligations to the people of our state.”
Sixteen support staff members were sent earlier this week to Joint Base Anacostia-Boiling within Washington, D.C., where they will work with other military personnel providing support for the broader mission. These Guardsmen are not expected to have any direct interaction with civilians, the release said.
Kemp also approved a separate request for up to approximately 300 Georgia Guard soldiers to relieve service members stationed in D.C. from the start of the mission. These 300 servicemembers are scheduled to mobilize in mid-September, the release said.
The press release noted that the D.C. deployment is separate from the support being given by the Georgia Guard to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Agency operations in the state.
Washington, D.C. has sued the Trump administration over its deployment of the National Guard, accusing the president of violating the U.S. Constitution and federal law by sending in troops without the consent of local leaders.
