National Guard deployment increases in Washington, D.C.

WASHINGTON —

Six Republican states have deployed National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., as part of President Donald Trump's initiative to address crime in the capital.

Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana have joined West Virginia, South Carolina, and Ohio in sending National Guard members, bringing the total to approximately 1,900 troops, including the D.C. National Guard. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, "The focus is to make D.C. safe and beautiful and to remove public safety threats and violent criminals from our streets."

The Republican governors stated they were responding to requests from the Trump administration to participate in the operation. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser questioned whether the deployment is more about immigration enforcement than violent cri