America News Agency

These troops will assist with logistics, transportation, and facility protection, similar to the role played by the California National Guard in Los Angeles this summer. The move follows President Donald Trump’s pledge to combat crime in the capital, despite a decline in recent years.

Trump, who claims crime in Washington is “completely out of control,” is expected to announce the move at a press conference today.

The official stated that the troops will not have arrest authority, but while local police make arrests, a military police unit could assist in detaining suspects.

The exact role of the troops has not yet been fully defined by the White House, and the Army and Pentagon are working on the details. However, another military official said the deployment is expected to closely resemble that in California.

Although Washington’s crime rate last year reached its lowest level in 30 years, the president has recently seized on an attack against a Trump administration staffer to portray the city as dangerous, and on Monday promised: “Crime, brutality, filth, and garbage will be eliminated.” Last week, Trump deployed federal law enforcement across the city, and in February he proposed placing Washington under federal control.