The Trump administration has deployed tens of thousands of active-duty troops and National Guard members to occupy six major US cities, a move that has cost taxpayers half a billion dollars so far. This unprecedented militarization of America could exceed $1 billion this year if current deployments continue.
President Donald Trump's decision to deploy the military into US cities began during his second term, with the aim of quelling dissent and addressing issues like immigration and crime. However, this approach has been met with criticism from lawmakers and activists, who argue that it is an abuse of executive power and undermines the authority of Congress.
According to a report released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Trump's urban occupations have cost around $496 million in 2025, including $223 million for the deployment of troops in Washington, DC. Los Angeles also saw significant troop deployments at a cost of $193 million.
Critics argue that this militarization is part of a broader strategy to intimidate and control marginalized communities, particularly those that are predominantly Democratic or have high concentrations of minority populations.
"This is not hyperbole," said Hanna Homestead, a researcher with the National Priorities Project. "The US government is investing billions in militarizing our streets while cutting vital services like food aid, healthcare, and social programs – at a time of unprecedented wealth inequality."
Lawmakers have expressed outrage over the administration's actions, with some calling for an end to these deployments immediately. The Intercept has reported extensively on Trump's authoritarian tactics, including his use of the military to crack down on protests and suppress dissent.
In a statement, Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticized the deployment of troops as "a disrespect to their service" and argued that it was a "cruel immigration agenda." Others have accused Trump of using the military to intimidate and bully minority communities.
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President Donald Trump's decision to deploy the military into US cities began during his second term, with the aim of quelling dissent and addressing issues like immigration and crime. However, this approach has been met with criticism from lawmakers and activists, who argue that it is an abuse of executive power and undermines the authority of Congress.
According to a report released by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO), Trump's urban occupations have cost around $496 million in 2025, including $223 million for the deployment of troops in Washington, DC. Los Angeles also saw significant troop deployments at a cost of $193 million.
Critics argue that this militarization is part of a broader strategy to intimidate and control marginalized communities, particularly those that are predominantly Democratic or have high concentrations of minority populations.
"This is not hyperbole," said Hanna Homestead, a researcher with the National Priorities Project. "The US government is investing billions in militarizing our streets while cutting vital services like food aid, healthcare, and social programs – at a time of unprecedented wealth inequality."
Lawmakers have expressed outrage over the administration's actions, with some calling for an end to these deployments immediately. The Intercept has reported extensively on Trump's authoritarian tactics, including his use of the military to crack down on protests and suppress dissent.
In a statement, Sen. Elizabeth Warren criticized the deployment of troops as "a disrespect to their service" and argued that it was a "cruel immigration agenda." Others have accused Trump of using the military to intimidate and bully minority communities.
The Intercept is committed to holding those in power accountable for their actions, particularly when they involve a blatant disregard for democratic norms and human rights. We need your support to continue this work.
We're an independent news organization funded by members – not corporate interests. Will you help us expand our reporting capacity to hit the ground running in 2026?
this is just getting out of hand, like what's next they gonna deploy troops to occupy every school or library? and for what? so trump can say he's keeping America safe? 
news orgs should be focusing on why we're spending all this cash and if it's really worth the strain on our democracy...
WE'RE TALKING ABOUT HALF A BILLION DOLLARS ALREADY AND IT'S ONLY GOING TO GET WORSE IF THESE DEPLOYMENTS KEEP UP. IT SMELLS LIKE TRUMP IS TRYING TO INTIMIDATE VOTERS WHO DISAGREE WITH HIM, ESPECIALLY IN THE MINORITY COMMUNITIES. NEWSFLASH: IT WON'T WORK! WE NEED TO CALL OUT THIS BEHAVIOR FOR WHAT IT IS - A TOTAL OVERREACH OF EXECUTIVE POWER. 
. all this money spent on military occupation could be better spent on actual problems like poverty and education... or even social programs that help marginalized communities 
. seriously though, $1 billion this year? that's wild 
. Rather, this deployment appears to be a calculated attempt to intimidate and control marginalized communities – particularly those that tend to vote Democratic or have high concentrations of minority populations 
. Can we afford to trade our hard-won freedoms for short-term security measures? Only time will tell 
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. lawmakers need to do something about this ASAP before it gets out of hand... we shouldn't have to rely on activists and researchers to tell us what's going on 
And don't even get me started on the whole immigration thing... I mean, what's next, troops patrolling our grocery stores for EBT cards or something 
? Need some real change around here, not more authoritarian posturing!
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It seems like we're seeing a huge escalation of militarization, and it's coming at a huge cost - not just financially, but also in terms of trust and legitimacy for our institutions. I get that there are issues to address, like crime and immigration, but using troops to quell dissent feels so heavy-handed. What if it's just making things worse? The fact that we're comparing this to cutting vital services is really concerning - what are we prioritizing here? 