ACLU demands immediate withdrawal of PRNG troops from Washington
By THE STAR STAFF
More than 150 members of the Puerto Rico National Guard continue patrolling neighborhoods in Washington, D.C., a deployment the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico denounced this week as unjustified and politically motivated.
The organization urged Gov. Jenniffer González Colón to order the immediate return of all Puerto Rico personnel, arguing that no real emergency exists to warrant their presence in the nation’s capital.
Annette Martínez Orabona, executive director of the ACLU of Puerto Rico, said the ongoing deployment forms part of “a propagandistic exercise” by President Donald Trump aimed at creating an atmosphere of fear.
“There is absolutely no reason for Puerto Rico’s troops to be patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C.,” Martínez Orabona said on Wednesday. “The governor never should have activated our troops for such acts, and more than a year later, it is time for her to bring them home.”
According to data from the D.C. National Guard, at least 153 Puerto Rico soldiers remain active in the capital. In an open letter released jointly by the ACLU, its Puerto Rico chapter, and the ACLU of the District of Columbia, the organizations called for the withdrawal of all National Guard units deployed in the city.
The presence of armed Guard members in Washington began in August 2025, when Trump activated the D.C. National Guard and requested voluntary support from governors nationwide. While governors may decline such requests, Puerto Rico contributed personnel to a deployment that peaked this summer at more than 4,000 troops from 15 states, Puerto Rico and D.C.
The ACLU argues the prolonged patrols have created an atmosphere of intimidation rather than security. Residents have reported uniformed, armed Guard members stationed outside homes, schools and businesses. The organization warns that normalizing military patrols in civilian areas risks eroding civil liberties and expanding executive power. In May, ACLU-D.C. filed a lawsuit on behalf of Anna King, a decorated combat veteran who was allegedly assaulted by Guard members outside her home.
Monica Hopkins, executive director of ACLU-D.C., said the capital “does not need or want armed National Guard troops,” adding that absent a true emergency, Guard members “should be at home, in their communities, with their families.”
The ACLU estimates the deployments could cost taxpayers $1.7 billion by the end of 2026, straining budgets at a time when families in Puerto Rico and across the United States face rising living costs. The organization also warned that extended federal missions reduce Puerto Rico’s ability to respond to natural disasters.
Mike Zamore, national policy director for the ACLU, said the patrols represent “a demonstration of force” intended to intimidate.
“We must continue raising our voices against this flagrant abuse of executive power,” he said.
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