6th Republican-led state sends National Guard troops to DC as Trump continues law enforcement takeover
The number of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., increased again on Tuesday as a sixth Republican-led state sent some of its soldiers to the nation's capital as part of the president's activation to fight what he claims is rising crime in the city.
Tennessee sent 160 troops to the nation's capital on Tuesday, bringing the total number of troops ordered to the city to 2,021. About 900 members, which include members of the military police, have actually mobilized as of Tuesday afternoon and many of those members are unarmed.
Aside from members of the D.C. National Guard, five other states previously sent their military members to serve in Trump's mobilization: Louisiana, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia and Mississippi.
Guard troops are now helping law enforcement at 10 Metro stations, in addition to keeping a small presence along the National Mall, according to officials in charge of the operation, which they are now calling "D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force."
Stations include L'Enfant Plaza, Gallery Place, Metro Center and Union Station. Officials previously said Guard personnel are not arresting people, only helping to detain individuals briefly if necessary before handing them off to law enforcement.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced later in the day there have been a total of 465 arrests since Trump launched federal law enforcement in Washington on Aug. 7. There were 52 arrests Monday night, according to Leavitt. Information about potential charges from those arrests has not been revealed.
"Four more homeless encampments were also removed during yesterday's reporting period. To date, a total of 48 homeless encampments have been cleared in Washington, D.C., by multi-agency teams," she added.
When asked by a reporter how long residents in the city should expect the National Guard to remain deployed in the district, Levitt said that they don't have a "timeline" to share.
ABC News' Anne Flaherty contributed to this report.
