The deployment of National Guard and active-duty Marine forces to several US cities cost American taxpayers approximately $496 million in the final six months of 2025. This hefty sum, revealed in an official government estimate, raises significant questions about the financial implications and sustainability of ongoing military interventions within the nation’s borders.
A Staggering and Recurring Expense
Should these deployments persist at their end-of-2025 levels, they would incur an estimated cost of around $93 million per month, according to a new assessment by Congressional Budget Office (CBO) Director Phillip Swagel. This information came to light in a letter dispatched in response to an inquiry from Senator Jeff Merkley, D-Ore., a prominent member of the Senate Committee on the Budget.
Drilling Down on Costs: From Payroll to Urban Logistics
Swagel also provided a general cost estimate for a 1,000-member National Guard deployment, ranging between $18 million to $21 million per month. The precise figure, he clarified, hinges on the cost-of-living in the specific city where personnel are stationed.
Expenses were meticulously calculated based on factors such as pay and benefits for deployed Guardsmen, lodging away from their home stations, food costs, and transportation for all personnel involved.
Cities Under Military Watch: A Map of Interventions
During the latter half of 2025, the Trump administration dispatched National Guard and Marines to six major US cities: Los Angeles, California; Washington, D.C.; Memphis, Tennessee; Portland, Oregon; Chicago, Illinois; and New Orleans, Louisiana. The New Orleans deployment was notably excluded from the June-December cost estimate, as it “occurred at the end of the year.”
Uncertain Future for Domestic Missions: Legal and Political Hurdles Ahead
The letter left the future of domestic deployments shrouded in uncertainty. Swagel acknowledged the legal challenges the Trump administration encountered regarding the Guard’s presence in US cities. This ongoing ambiguity underscores the political complexities and legal sensitivities surrounding the use of military forces for internal order, as well as the considerable financial strain these operations place on the public purse.
