President Trump deployed the guard in August 2025 as part of crime fighting mission in Washington, D.C. The force, which rose to a peak of about 5,000 troops over the summer, has supported arrest operations, patrolled city streets and neighborhoods and participated in cleanup efforts.
Trump's Republican administration says the deployment has contributed to a dramatic decrease in crime in the city which is largely run by Democrats.
The city has argued that the mobilization is an illegal use of the military for domestic law enforcement.
U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb, who was appointed by Joe Biden, concluded last November that Trump’s military takeover in Washington illegally intrudes on local officials’ authority to direct law enforcement in the district.
Cobb found that while the president does have authority to protect federal functioning and property, he can’t unilaterally deploy the D.C. National Guard to help with crime control as he sees fit or call in troops from other states. She put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the appeal by the Trump administration.
The appeals court stayed the order and has allowed the guard to remain in place while the case is pending.
