U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth on Friday signed an order authorizing National Guard personnel deployed in Washington, D.C., to carry their service-issued weapons. The directive covers roughly 2,000 soldiers and airmen who have been patrolling the capital since earlier this month in support of President Donald Trump’s law-enforcement crackdown. The deployment began on Aug. 11 with 800 members of the District of Columbia National Guard and has since expanded with contingents from six Republican-led states. Troops had previously been unarmed; a Pentagon official said they will now carry pistols or M4 rifles “consistent with their mission and training.” While assisting police, Guard members will still lack arrest powers and may detain individuals only when law-enforcement officers are not present. The White House says the military presence is aimed at reducing crime and homelessness and cites more than 700 arrests since the operation started. President Trump, who greeted Guard members on Thursday, hinted the force could remain for at least six months and pledged to seek $2 billion from Congress to upgrade the city’s infrastructure. Local officials and Democratic lawmakers condemned the decision, arguing that arming troops is unnecessary and risks escalating tensions. Mayor Muriel Bowser pointed to city data showing a 26 percent decline in violent crime compared with last year. Civil-military analysts also noted that National Guard patrols in U.S. streets traditionally occur only in extraordinary circumstances.