India, July 4 -- The US federal government has dramatically intensified its security footprint in the capital, Washington DC on the eve of the United States' 250th anniversary celebrations, doubling the number of deployed National Guard personnel to nearly 5,000 troops.

The massive influx of uniformed personnel, part of President Donald Trump's sweeping federal task force initiative, has transformed the visual landscape of Washington, drawing fierce praise from administration officials and intense pushback from local civil rights advocates.

The Pentagon initiated a "summer surge" that expanded the domestic military presence to approximately 4,800 troops drawn from DC and nearly two dozen states. While the heavily armed troops patrol tou...