National Guard troops sent to Washington earlier this month by President Donald Trump to address what he called a “crime emergency” have begun performing sanitation and landscaping work around federal landmarks, including Lafayette Square across from the White House. Joint Task Force – D.C. said roughly 110 soldiers were instructed this week to pick up litter, remove graffiti and spread mulch as part of the administration’s “Safe and Beautiful” initiative. The service members are drawn from the 2,234 Guard personnel now stationed in the capital, including contingents from six Republican-led states. The beautification assignment follows three weeks of joint patrols by Guard units and federal law-enforcement agencies that the White House says have led to more than 1,094 arrests and the seizure of 115 firearms. A CBS News analysis of Metropolitan Police Department data shows reported violent crime during the Aug. 7-25 deployment period fell almost 50 percent compared with the same 19 days in 2024, though the report notes the decline had begun before the troops arrived. Local officials have questioned the scale and purpose of the federal presence. Mayor Muriel Bowser has argued the city’s crime statistics do not justify thousands of out-of-state troops, while some residents and judges have challenged the legality of certain arrests. The decision to assign soldiers to custodial duties has further intensified debate over whether the deployment is addressing public safety or shifting routine municipal tasks to the military.