WASHINGTON, D.C. – A federal appeals court has temporarily halted a lower court order requiring the Trump administration to withdraw National Guard troops from Washington, D.C.,pending further review. The stay, issued Thursday by a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit, pauses the withdrawal deadline as the court considers the administration’s appeal.
The legal battle centers on the deployment of at least 2,000 National Guard reservists to the nation’s capital, framed by the Trump administration as an initiative to combat crime and enhance the city’s appearance. District Judge Jia Cobb previously ruled on November 20 that the administration had overstepped its authority by deploying the guard for non-military, crime-deterrence purposes without a request from D.C.’s local authorities,initially setting a withdrawal deadline of December 11,later extended by 21 days.
The appeals court emphasized that its decision to stay the order “should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits” of the case. The administration has faced similar legal challenges regarding National Guard deployments in other Democrat-led cities, including Los Angeles, Portland, and Chicago.The court’s decision arrives days after a shooting on November 27 left one National Guard member, 20-year-old Sarah Beckstrom, dead and another, 24-year-old Andrew Wolfe, critically injured.Following the incident, the Trump administration announced plans to deploy an additional 500 National Guard members to the city. Authorities have charged 29-year-old afghan Rahmanullah Lakanwal in connection with the shooting.
