A federal appeals court has just given President Donald Trump the green light to continue deploying District of Columbia National Guard troops in the nation’s capital.
The Wednesday ruling comes as the Trump administration appeals a Democrat-aligned lower court ruling that sought to block the move.
Trump has argued that the deployment is necessary to confront escalating crime and violence in Washington, D.C.
In addition, the troops seek to bolster federal immigration enforcement efforts in the district and protect agents from violent attacks.
The three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued a temporary stay of U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb’s November 20 decision.
Judge Cobb was appointed by former President Joe Biden.
Cobb had ruled that Trump’s deployment violated the U.S. Constitution.
She also claimed that the president improperly interfered with D.C. officials’ authority over local law enforcement.
In granting the stay, the appeals court emphasized the unique legal status of the nation’s capital.
The panel wrote that it was granting the motion “because the District of Columbia is a federal district created by Congress, rather than a constitutionally sovereign entity like the 50 states.”
It added that the federal government is likely to succeed on the merits of its argument.
The appeals court noted “that the president possesses a unique power within the district—the seat of the federal government—to mobilize the Guard under 32 U.S.C. Section 502(f).”
“It also appears likely that the D.C. Code independently authorizes the deployment of the D.C. Guard,” the ruling continued.
The legal dispute unfolds amid heightened security concerns following the November 26 shooting near the White House that left one West Virginia National Guard member dead and another hospitalized.
Both were among the personnel Trump deployed to the district as part of his effort to stabilize public safety.
The appeals court’s stay means the troop deployment will remain in effect as the case proceeds.
The ruling sets up a significant constitutional fight over presidential authority in the federal district.
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