The National Guard presence in Washington, D.C., isn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered troops to remain in the capital until at least February—and possibly longer—extending what was supposed to be a temporary mission.

Politico says the original orders were supposed to end in November, but Hegseth quietly signed off on keeping the troops in D.C. for much longer. An anonymous defense official told Politico the deployment will continue “until the mission is considered complete,” in the outlet’s words.

As of Wednesday morning, CNN reports that 2,387 National Guard troops are stationed across D.C., including service members from Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina, West Virginia, and D.C. itself. The operation costs roughly $

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