Federal court says troops can stay in D.C., and hints at prolonged deployment

"National Guard troops can remain in Washington, D.C. while a panel of judges examines whether the deployment ordered by President Trump is legal, according to a Federal Appeals Court for Washington, D.C. ruling. More than 2,000 troops have been deployed in the city since August, both from the District and at least 11 Republican-led states. Hundreds more were added after a targeted attack on National Guard troops killed one and wounded another last month, both of whom were from West Virginia."

"President Trump's deployment in Washington is the most robust long-running operation so far, in what has become a pattern of military deployments to help with policing in Democratic-led cities around the country. Several other smaller deployments are tied up in legal battles including Trump's deployment to Chicago which is at the Supreme Court awaiting an emergency decision. In today's ruling the judges wrote that Washington, D.C.'s unique federal status allows President Trump to largely control the deployment of troops in the city."

A federal appeals court for Washington, D.C. ruled National Guard troops can remain in the city while judges examine the deployment's legality. More than 2,000 troops have been deployed since August from the District and at least 11 Republican-led states; hundreds were added after a targeted attack that killed one troop and wounded another from West Virginia. The decision overturns a lower court order to remove troops. Judges said Washington's unique federal status allows the President to largely control deployments there and indicated the administration is likely to prevail, which could keep troops through February 2026. The judges warned that sending out-of-state Guard forces into other states without governors' consent is constitutionally troubling.

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