Overview
- The D.C. Circuit lifted a lower-court injunction that would have required troops to leave Washington by December 11, keeping the deployment in place pending further order.
- More than 2,000 Guard members remain in the capital after an August activation that President Trump expanded by 500 following a November 26 shooting near the White House that later resulted in one death.
- D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb’s lawsuit contends the deployment usurps municipal policing and violates limits on military involvement in civilian law enforcement, arguing it also diverts scarce police resources and increases safety risks.
- Administration lawyers argue the president can deploy forces in the District without local approval and characterize the lawsuit as political.
- Parallel challenges to deployments in other cities continue, and the Supreme Court is considering an emergency appeal over the Chicago operation.