COLUMBUS, Ohio — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine announced Saturday that the state will send 150 military police from the Ohio National Guard to Washington to bolster security in the nation’s capital, as states respond to requests for support amid President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of the District’s police department.
The Guard members will conduct presence patrols and provide added security alongside the District of Columbia National Guard, DeWine said in a statement. He noted that none of the personnel are currently serving as law enforcement officers in Ohio. The troops are expected to arrive in Washington in the coming days.
The deployment comes at the request of the secretary of the Army, DeWine said, and is part of a broader mobilization of about 800 National Guard troops from various states to the District. Ohio’s contribution follows similar activations from other states as Trump seeks to address what he has described as rampant crime, bloodshed and squalor in the capital city.
Trump declared a public safety emergency in Washington on Aug. 11, invoking provisions of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act that allow the president to temporarily federalize the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes under special conditions. The move places the local police force under direct federal control for up to 30 days and includes the deployment of federal law enforcement agents alongside the Guard troops.
The president has defended the action as necessary to combat rising crime, though official data shows violent crime in the District reached a 30-year low recently, with overall crime declining for two years. Critics, including District officials, have called it an overreach and a threat to local self-governance. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has rejected the takeover, arguing no such emergency exists beyond what the administration has manufactured.
District Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit against the Trump administration on Aug. 15, seeking a temporary restraining order to halt the federalization. The suit claims the move abuses authority under the Home Rule Act and endangers residents by infringing on the District’s autonomy. The case is before U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, a Biden appointee.
Democrats in Congress introduced a joint resolution to end the takeover, labeling it “lawless.” Protests against the decision have erupted in Washington, with demonstrators rallying outside the White House and other federal buildings.
Trump’s authority over the D.C. National Guard stems directly from the presidency, unlike state Guards which require gubernatorial approval for out-of-state deployments. The president’s control over District affairs has long been a point of contention, with advocates pushing for D.C. statehood to grant full local autonomy.
National Guard troops began arriving in Washington earlier this week, with some units conducting 24-hour operations around key sites like Union Station and the National Mall. The mobilization echoes Trump’s 2020 deployment of federal forces and Guard units to the District during racial justice protests, which drew widespread criticism for escalating tensions.
DeWine, a Republican, did not specify the duration of Ohio’s deployment but emphasized the troops’ role in supporting rather than leading law enforcement efforts. The governor’s office did not immediately respond to requests for additional comment.