President Donald Trump has expanded the federal security build-up in Washington, D.C., by calling on Republican-led states to reinforce the 800 District of Columbia National Guard soldiers he activated last week. West Virginia dispatched between 300 and 400 Guard members over the weekend, while South Carolina sent 200 and Ohio 150. Mississippi followed on Monday with 200 troops, and Louisiana and Tennessee have pledged 135 and 160 respectively. All units are operating under Title 32 status—commanded by their governors but paid for by the federal government—bringing the expected Guard presence in the capital to roughly 2,000 personnel. Governors said the troops will provide “mission-essential equipment, specialized training and presence patrols” to support Trump’s drive to “restore safety and cleanliness” in the city. The Wall Street Journal and NBC News reported that some of the soldiers, who arrived unarmed, have been told to prepare to carry firearms in the coming days, marking a shift from earlier Pentagon guidance that the deployment would remain non-lethal. District leaders and civil-rights groups condemned the escalation. Mayor Muriel Bowser argued that violent crime is down 26 percent this year and called the operation a politically motivated overreach. The city has filed suit to contest the temporary federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department, while the Justice Department has opened a probe into whether local officials under-reported crime statistics—a step critics say is intended to justify the military surge. Under federal law, National Guard troops in Title 32 status may protect federal facilities and personnel but have limited authority to perform civilian law-enforcement duties. Officials have not explained why additional manpower is needed beyond crowd control and support tasks already handled by the D.C. Guard. Some governors said they would recall their forces if hurricanes or other emergencies arise in their home states.