District of Columbia National Guard troops have orders to stay in the district through December, a Guard official said Wednesday.
President Donald Trump deployed the troops as part of a larger federal law enforcement plan in the city to crack down on crime. He also federalized the city's police force, the Metropolitan Police Department.
The official said the mission's extension is to ensure Guard members continue to receive benefits and pay for a mission that looks to last months. They added that all 950 Guard members in Washington may not serve until December, but the orders are a strong indication that their role is not winding down soon.
Guard members usually need to be on orders for more than 30 days to qualify for benefits, and multiple extensions to orders can sometimes cause in