Brooke Pinto calls on 5 incoming governors to withdraw 628 National Guard troops from DC
WASHINGTON - D.C. Councilmember Brooke Pinto is urging incoming governors in five states to pull hundreds of National Guard troops out of the District as soon as they take office.
What we know:
During a public hearing on federal law enforcement and military activity in the city, Pinto said election victories by Democratic governors in Georgia, Iowa, Nevada, Ohio and Texas offer an opportunity to recall out-of-state Guard units. Pinto noted that those five states account for a combined 628 National Guard troops currently stationed in the capital.
Pinto, who chairs the Council's Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety, pointed to concerns raised by families and educators over military operations near schools. Citing an October listening session at Bard High School in Ward 8, Pinto said students described armed troops gearing up with weapons, staging near school entrances and bus stops, and walking past classroom windows during the school day. Pinto joined neighborhood parents outside Bard in mid-October to protest the deployments after troops were also spotted stationed near election ballot drop boxes.
What we don't know:
It remains unclear whether the incoming governors will take executive action to recall their units immediately upon taking office, or how the Trump administration would respond if states move to pull their personnel.
The three-judge panel on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit also has no deadline to issue a decision on the legality of the deployments, meaning a court ruling could come down at any time.
What's next:
Pinto said she wants the incoming governors to issue troop withdrawal orders on their first day in office. She is also calling on congressional Democrats taking the majority in January to launch oversight investigations into federal operations in D.C. and pass rules barring federal personnel from wearing face coverings on District streets.
Council leaders plan to coordinate their next legislative steps with incoming District leaders, including Mayor-elect Janeese Lewis George and Delegate-elect Robert White.
The backstory:
The troop presence began after a federal state of emergency was declared in August 2025, dispatching federal personnel into D.C. neighborhoods.
The deployment sparked a high-stakes legal battle between local leaders and the White House. D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb challenged the move in court, arguing that the administration lacks the legal authority to deploy out-of-state National Guard units in the District.
During oral arguments in mid-October, the Department of Justice argued that the president ordered the deployment to support federal law enforcement missions, crediting the military footprint with a drop in local violent crime. Justice Department attorneys also warned that limiting presidential authority over the Guard could hamper future federal mobilizations for inaugurations, major protests and natural disasters.
The Source: This article was written using information from a D.C. Council Committee on the Judiciary and Public Safety hearing and previous FOX 5 DC reporting.