WASHINGTON (7News) — Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth has ordered that National Guard members patrolling Washington, D.C., for President Donald Trump’s federal crackdown will now be armed, the Associated Press confirmed with the Pentagon on Friday.

7News has also reached out to the Defense Department for additional details.

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Earlier this month, Trump invoked Section 740 of the Home Rule Act, a rarely used provision that allows the president to take temporary control of D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) for up to 30 days.

Currently, more than 2,000 National Guard personnel are deployed across the city. An additional 700 troops were sent from West Virginia, South Carolina, Ohio, Louisiana, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Officials said the guard presence is expected to remain in place through at least the end of September.

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This comes after the Pentagon and U.S. Army officials said last week that guards would not carry weapons.