National Guard troops deployed in Washington, D.C., will now carry M17 pistols for personal protection and are authorized to conduct law enforcement duties, defense officials confirmed Friday.

The move marks an escalation in President Donald Trump’s deployment of military forces to address what he has called “out of control” crime in the capital. Nearly 2,300 Guard members from D.C. and six Republican-led states have been mobilized, though until now they were unarmed.

ABC News reported that Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth authorized the use of weapons, and the joint task force overseeing the mission later confirmed it. “This decision is not something taken lightly,” said Army Brig. Gen. Leland D. Blanchard III, commander of the D.C. Guard. He added, “We are in coordination with our law enforcement partners and all appropriate review processes in place.”

Officials said Guard personnel will be trained before being armed. Because they are operating under Title 32 status, troops can legally perform law enforcement functions while remaining under their governors’ command. Legal experts have long cautioned that Title 32 could be used as a loophole to bypass the 1878 Posse Comitatus Act, which restricts federal use of the military for policing.

During a Thursday visit, Trump urged Guard troops to embrace an expanded role. “You got to be strong, you got to be tough,” he said. “You got to do your job. Whatever it takes to do your job.” He suggested troops could remain in the city for six months or more.

Mayor Muriel Bowser criticized the move, calling the deployment an “armed militia in the Nation’s Capital.” She noted violent crime has dropped 26% since 2024, hitting a 30-year low. “Crime has gone down in our city… because of a lot of hard work, changes to our public safety ecosystem, including changes to the law,” Bowser said.