U.S. Capitol Police requested a 60-day extension for a portion of the National Guard troops currently in Washington, D.C., Thursday.
Acting Police Chief Yogananda Pittman asked the Department of Defense to continue to provide support in the Capitol, where 5,200 guardsmen are currently deployed, NPR reports.
They were expected to leave the city March 12, a Capitol Police statement said, but are needed in light of current intelligence. Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and U.S. Army officials would have to approve.