The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) of Puerto Rico this week denounced the continued deployment of more than 150 Puerto Rico National Guard members patrolling Washington, D.C. neighborhoods as unjustified and politically motivated. The group urged Gov. Jenniffer González Colón to immediately order the return of all Puerto Rico personnel, saying no real emergency justifies their presence in the capital.
Annette Martínez Orabona, executive director of the ACLU of Puerto Rico, said Wednesday the deployment is part of a 'propagandistic exercise' by President Donald Trump meant to create fear, and said the governor 'never should have activated our troops for such acts' and should now bring them home. According to D.C. National Guard data, at least 153 Puerto Rico soldiers remain active in the city.
The ACLU, its Puerto Rico chapter, and the ACLU of the District of Columbia issued a joint open letter calling for withdrawal of all National Guard units from D.C. The deployment began in August 2025 when Trump activated the D.C. National Guard and requested voluntary state support, which peaked this summer at more than 4,000 troops from 15 states, Puerto Rico and D.C. Residents reported armed Guard members stationed outside homes, schools and businesses.