WASHINGTON — Public schools reopened Monday in the nation’s capital with parents on edge over the presence of thousands of National Guard troops, some armed, and federal law enforcement officers.
Even as President Donald Trump again touted a drop in crime that he attributed to his extraordinary effort to take over policing in Washington, D.C., the district’s mayor was lamenting the effect of Trump’s actions on children.
“Parents are anxious,” Mayor Muriel Bowser said at a news conference, noting that some might keep their children out of school because of immigration concerns.
“We know that our schools are the safest places for our students. And we invest a lot in their learning. And if they’re not at school, they can’t take advantage of that learning. So, I would just call on everybody to leave our kids alone, let them get a great start to their school day and school year and the rest of their lives,” she said.
The week began with some patrolling National Guard units now carrying firearms. The change stemmed from a directive issued late last week by his Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
About a half dozen National Guard troops walked by the district’s main convention center early Monday morning with pistols on their hips, according to an Associated Press reporter. But an AP photographer said none of the roughly 30 troops he saw on the National Mall was carrying a weapon.
A statement from the joint task force that has taken over policing in the nation’s capital said units began carrying their service weapons on Sunday and that the military’s rules say force should be used “only as a last resort and solely in response to an imminent threat of death or serious bodily harm.” It said the force is committed to protecting “the safety and wellbeing” of Washington’s residents.
Bowser reiterated her opposition to the National Guard’s presence. “I don’t believe that troops should be policing American cities,” she said.
Trump is considering expanding the deployments to other Democratic-led cities, including Baltimore, Chicago and New York.
In June, roughly 4,000 National Guard troops and 700 Marines were sent to Los Angeles to deal with protests over the administration’s immigration crackdown. California’s Democratic governor, Gavin Newsom, and other local elected officials objected.