The Trump administration has ordered some National Guard troops to be armed while enforcing the controversial crackdown in Washington, D.C., officials said Monday.

A Defense Department official said some guard units on certain missions had been instructed starting on Sunday to carry service handguns or rifles depending on their assigned missions.

A statement from the joint task force that has taken over policing in the nation’s capital said 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.”

The defense official said the armed troops would aim to establish a law enforcement presence throughout the capital. Those working in transportation or administration would likely remain unarmed.

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