US Capital National Guard Deployment: Appeals Court Blocks Removal for Now

A federal appeals court in Washington has temporarily halted a lower court's order requiring National Guard troops to leave the US capital by next week. The move comes after a district judge ruled that President Donald Trump's deployment of thousands of troops was unlawful. Last month, District Court Judge Jia Cobb ordered an end to the deployment by December 11, but granted the Trump administration a 21-day stay to file an appeal. The three-judge panel of the US Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit has now granted another stay, allowing the administration time to consider the case. The Trump administration deployed National Guard troops to several cities, including Washington, Los Angeles, and Memphis, to combat crime and enforce his immigration crackdown. However, authorities in Los Angeles and Memphis have resisted the deployment, citing its unneccessity. The mayor of Washington has largely cooperated with the White House on the crackdown. The deployment of troops has been temporarily blocked in two other Democratic-controlled cities, Chicago and Portland, and the Supreme Court is expected to deliver the final word on the matter soon. President Trump has sent over 2,000 National Guard troops to patrol Washington, citing the city's high crime rate. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit in September to end the deployment of the National Guard in Washington, arguing that the Trump administration had acted contrary to law by deploying troops for non-military purposes without a request from local authorities. The Trump administration has denied charges of targeting Democratic-run cities for its anti-crime campaign and immigration crackdown. The latest development comes as President Trump plans to send troops to New Orleans, another Democratic-run city in a state controlled by Republicans. The deployment has sparked controversy, with some critics accusing the president of using the National Guard as a tool for political leverage.