Advancement Project Responds To Trump Administration’s National Guard Deployment in D.C.

August 11, 2025

Washington, DC — In response to President Donald Trump’s decision to deploy the National Guard in Washington, D.C., Advancement Project Deputy Executive Director Carmen Daugherty shared the following statement:

“President Trump’s plan to deploy the D.C. National Guard while taking over local control of Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) is a threat to our communities under the guise of public safety. Black and Latine people who live and work in the DMV are at increased risk of violence and harm through militarized policing. We know this act is not about safety, but rather about control, fear and the criminalization of our communities, especially our young people who are at the center of these false narratives about the rise in crime, despite the  data showing us that DC crime is at a 30-year low.

This is the same playbook President Trump used in Los Angeles – manufacture a crisis founded on lies to enact lawless actions. It is no coincidence that President Trump is once again targeting a city with largely Black communities and Black leadership. Much as in Los Angeles, the national guard presence is an attempt to silence and intimidate protestors. Their presence chills dissent in the face of this historic, unlawful action, putting protestors – many of whom are Black youth and activists – at risk of harm and violence.

President Trump’s  promise of this federal takeover is only the beginning, and it’s a threat we must take seriously. Communities must denounce this authoritarian power grab and call on our representatives to oppose Trump’s decision. We stand with Washington, D.C. and will fight for dignity and self-determination for the people of DC.”

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Advancement Project is a next-generation, multi-racial civil rights organization. Rooted in the great human rights struggles for equality and justice, we exist to fulfill America’s promise of a caring, inclusive and just democracy. We use innovative tools and strategies to strengthen social movements and achieve high impact policy change. We are a co-convener of the National Campaign for Police Free schools, a formation of 20+ youth-led grassroots organizations fighting to end the criminalization of youth in the classroom, create liberatory educational spaces, and implement an affirmative vision of safety and transformative justice. Visit www.advancementproject.org to learn more.