Why Is the National Guard in Washington, D.C.?

​More than 2,000 National Guard troops deployed to Washington in August after President Trump took federal control of the city’s police and mobilized the troops in what he described as a crackdown on crime.Since then, the troops have patrolled metro stations and tourist areas, and picked up trash around the National Mall.The two soldiers killed Wednesday were members of West Virginia’s National Guard, Gov. Patrick Morrisey of West Virginia said in a statement.The troops deployed in Washington are from the city itself but also states including West Virginia, Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi, Ohio, South Carolina and Georgia.Last week a federal judge in Washington temporarily blocked the administration from maintaining the troops in the city, finding the city was likely to succeed in arguing the deployment was illegal.Judge Jia M. Cobb of the Federal District Court paused her ruling for three weeks to allow time for the administration to remove the troops, as well as to appeal her decision.John Ismay contributed reporting.