ANKARA
Deployments of the US National Guard and federal forces to several American cities over the past six months have cost taxpayers an estimated $496 million, according to the Congressional Budget Office (CBO).
The deployments, ordered by President Donald Trump during his second term, targeted several Democratic-led cities, including Los Angeles, in response to protests over immigration raids; Washington, DC, to address crime and homelessness; Memphis for public safety and crime reduction; and Portland and Chicago to protect federal buildings during enforcement operations, some of which were later blocked by court rulings. Additional deployments were carried out in New Orleans toward the end of the year with state approval for public safety support.
According to the CBO, daily per-troop costs averaged about $260, covering pay, benefits, lodging, meals, transportation, and logistics. If maintained at similar levels, monthly costs could reach $93 million in 2026.
The sustained domestic use of the National Guard for crime suppression, protest response, and immigration enforcement support marks an unprecedented scale of deployment, exceeding even the 2020 response to nationwide protests following the killing of George Floyd.
Several missions, including those in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland, ended by late December 2025 following legal challenges and Supreme Court limitations, while deployments in Washington, DC, Memphis, and New Orleans remain ongoing.
Democratic US Senator Jeff Merkley criticized the spending as “weaponizing taxpayer money for unlawful control” and called for the deployments to be halted.
The CBO said its estimate covers only direct military activation and operational support costs and does not include spending from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) or other federal agency budgets.