Appeals court pauses ruling curbing D.C. National Guard deployment
A federal appeals panel issued an administrative stay of Judge Jia Cobb’s order that had barred the Trump administration from unilaterally using the D.C. National Guard for crime-control operations or calling up out‑of‑state Guard members, saying the stay should not be construed as a ruling on the merits while it considers a longer-term pause and leaving the Guard deployed for now; the District’s attorney general is suing to bar deployments without the mayor’s consent. The administration ordered an additional 500 Guard personnel after the Nov. 27 ambush that killed two Guardsmen — Arkansas is sending 100 — while states such as West Virginia say roughly 170 Guardsmen remain in D.C. on volunteer rotations and have not asked to leave, and their governor has not committed to the surge and will consult Guard leadership; the White House says the president acted lawfully.
📌 Key Facts
- A federal appeals court issued an administrative stay pausing enforcement of Judge Jia Cobb’s ruling that barred the Trump administration’s D.C. National Guard deployment, saying the stay should not be construed as a ruling on the merits while it considers a longer-term pause requested by the administration.
- Judge Jia Cobb had previously ruled the president cannot unilaterally deploy the D.C. Guard for crime control or call in out-of-state Guard; she initially stayed her own order for 21 days pending appeal.
- D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s lawsuit seeks to bar Guard deployments in D.C. without the mayor’s consent while the case proceeds.
- The White House said the president acted lawfully in deploying the Guard and expects to be ultimately vindicated.
- Following the Nov. 27 ambush that killed two Guard members, the president ordered an additional 500 Guard personnel to D.C.; Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is sending 100 of those troops.
- West Virginia officials say no WV Guard members deployed in D.C. have asked to leave; the state initially reported about 180 Guardsmen there but later put the number at 170, stressing all-volunteer rotations and noting roughly 1,300 out-of-state Guard are deployed in D.C. overall.
- West Virginia’s governor has not committed to contributing to the additional 500-person surge, saying he will consult Guard leadership and defer to the president and the attorney general on future steps; state leaders also spent Thanksgiving Day with deployed Guardsmen at the D.C. Armory.
📊 Relevant Data
In Washington D.C., approximately 96 percent of suspects in homicides and nonfatal shootings are Black, despite Black residents comprising only 46 percent of the population.
Gun Violence Problem Analysis Summary Report — Criminal Justice Coordinating Council
Total violent crime in the District of Columbia decreased by 35% in 2024 compared to 2023, reaching the lowest level in over 30 years.
Violent Crime in D.C. Hits 30 Year Low — U.S. Department of Justice
The homicide rate in Washington D.C. decreased by 19% in the first half of 2025 compared to the first half of 2024.
Crime in Washington, DC: What You Need to Know — Council on Criminal Justice
Immigrants in the United States commit crimes at lower rates than U.S.-born citizens.
The immigration–crime link — American Economic Association
📰 Sources (4)
- A federal appeals court issued an administrative stay of Judge Jia Cobb’s ruling that barred the Trump administration’s D.C. National Guard deployment.
- The panel said the stay should not be construed as a ruling on the merits while it considers a longer-term pause requested by the administration.
- Judge Cobb previously held the president cannot unilaterally deploy D.C. Guard for crime control or call in out-of-state Guard; she had stayed her order for 21 days.
- White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said the president acted lawfully and expects ultimate vindication.
- Arkansas Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders is sending 100 Guard members as part of a requested additional 500 following the Nov. 27 fatal ambush of two Guard members.
- DC AG Brian Schwalb’s suit seeks to bar Guard deployments without the mayor’s consent while the case proceeds.
- West Virginia officials now put the number of their Guardsmen active in D.C. at 170 (previously cited around 180), emphasizing all-volunteer rotations.
- Gov. Morrisey said no additional troop request has been made and he will defer to the President and Attorney General on future steps.
- State leaders spent Thanksgiving Day with deployed Guardsmen at the D.C. Armory amid ongoing operations.
- WV maintains 180 Guard members on the D.C. mission; about 1,300 out-of-state Guard are deployed overall.
- After the shooting, the President ordered an additional 500 Guard personnel to D.C.; West Virginia has not committed to contributing to that surge, with the governor saying he will consult Guard leadership.
- Governor states the mission should continue despite the attack.