Monday begins the second week of elevated National Guard presence in Washington D.C., as President Donald Trump pushes to address allegations of rampant crime and homelessness in the capital.
On Monday, Mississippi's Republican Gov. Tate Reeves announced the state would send 200 of its National Guard troops to support the D.C. crackdown.
"Crime is out of control there, and it’s clear something must be done to combat it. Americans deserve a safe capital city that we can all be proud of. I know the brave men and women of our National Guard will do an excellent job enhancing public safety and supporting law enforcement."
Louisiana's Republican Gov. Jeff Landry also announced Wednesday he had approved the deployment of about 135 National Guard members to D.C.
As of Thursday, states including Ohio, West Virginia and South Carolina plan to send more National Guard troops to D.C. at the Trump administration's request.
There are expected to be some 800 members of the Washington, D.C., National Guard deployed, which will put the combined total at more than 1,800 National Guard troops in D.C.
The governors who are sending troops say they reserve the right to call them back if they are needed in their home states due to natural disasters or other emergencies.
President Trump addressed the deployment while taking questions at the White House.
"We have a thing going on right now in D.C. We went from the most unsafe place anywhere to a place that now people, friends are calling me up, Democrats are calling me up, and they're saying 'Sir, I want to thank you. My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years. And Washington, D.C. is safe, and you did that in four days.'"
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Public data on crime rates contradicts the president's narrative of a "rampant" threat in D.C.
Justice Department statistics show violent crime in the city is actually at a 30-year low. Data from the Metropolitan Police Department in Washington, D.C. shows violent crime is down about 26% so far this year when compared to the same time last year.
Other federal agencies also show an increased presence around the city, including Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, who have conducted a number of arrests of undocumented immigrants and seized firearms.
