ACLU of Idaho calls on Gov. Brad Little to pull back Idaho National Guard from DC

Utah News Dispatch · Laura Guido · September 4, 2026

U.S. Army Col. Stephen Arnett speaks with members of the Idaho National Guard, assigned to the Joint Task Force-District of Columbia in support of the "D.C. Safe and Beautiful mission," at the Ulysses S. Grant Memorial in Washington, D.C., on June 16, 2026. (Photo by Spc. Keyra Moolenaar/U.S. Army National Guard) The ACLU of Idaho has joined the national American Civil Liberties Union in calling on leaders to pull back National Guard members from Washington, D.C. Idaho leaders indicated the deployment in D.C. will continue.

Members of the Idaho National Guard have been deployed to the nation’s capital since February, although state officials did not publicly announce the deployment at the time, the Idaho Capital Sun previously reported.

The soldiers are there with guardsmen from other states as part of a Joint Task Force-DC Mission in response to President Donald Trump’s executive order titled Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful.

U.S. Sen. Jim Risch, left, and Idaho Gov. Brad Little, right, attend a lying in state service for former Idaho Gov. Dirk Kempthorne on May 15, 2026. (Photo by Kyle Pfannenstiel/Idaho Capital Sun) “Governor Little is proud of Idaho’s citizen-soldiers and the professionalism, dedication, and service they bring to every mission, including Operation Safe and Beautiful,” Emily Callihan, Gov. Brad Little’s communication director, said in an emailed statement.

Attorneys with the ACLU-D.C. in July filed a $3 million legal claim against the Idaho National guard on behalf of a D.C. resident who says she was injured by Idaho guardsmen outside her home in May.

“The ACLU of Idaho is demanding that Governor Little immediately remove all Idaho National Guard troops from D.C.,” ACLU of Idaho Executive Director Leo Morales said Thursday in a press release. “There is no real emergency justifying the need to send troops to the other side of the country. This deployment of National Guard members in D.C. for many months has pulled taxpayer-funded resources away from true, critical emergencies here in Idaho, including wildfires. Additionally, the lack of transparency around this deployment and the recent incident involving a D.C. veteran and Idaho National Guard members should concern all Idahoans. Governor Little has the power to put this to an end.”

As of Sept. 1, there are 24 members of the Idaho National Guard in Washington, D.C., among a total of 3,780 Guard personnel from around the country and Puerto Rico and the Virgin Islands.

Woman files $3 million claim against Idaho National Guard for detaining her in D.C.

In late July, Idaho had 99 guardsmen in D.C.

“Idaho National Guard personnel continue to support the Joint Task Force–District of Columbia mission in Washington, D.C., while maintaining the readiness to respond to emergencies and other missions in Idaho,” said Lt. Col. Chris Borders, spokesperson for the Idaho National Guard.

“We remain focused on accomplishing the mission while maintaining our readiness to respond to the needs of Idaho when called upon. Any future participation in JTF-DC will be based on mission requirements and direction from the appropriate authorities.”

The cost of Idaho’s deployment is unknown, officials say

The Idaho National Guard’s deployment is federally funded, according to multiple officials.

A spokesperson for the Joint Task Force told the Sun that questions about the mission’s costs should be directed to the Office of the Secretary of Defense. That office directed the Sun back to the Joint Task Force for questions related to costs.

Asked again, a spokesperson from the Office of the Secretary of Defense said, “we will not know the cost until the mission is completed.”

This story was originally produced by Idaho Capital Sun , which is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit news network which includes Utah News Dispatch, and is supported by grants and a coalition of donors as a 501c(3) public charity.

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