Overview
- U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb concluded the administration exceeded its authority by using Guard troops for policing‑adjacent duties without a local request.
- Her order also says the administration lacks legal authority to bring in Guard members from other states, though the directive is stayed for 21 days to allow an appeal.
- Thousands of Guard personnel have remained in the capital since August under a mission that officials extended in November through February 28.
- The D.C. attorney general sued in September to stop the deployment, and multiple states joined the case on both sides in a partisan split, according to court filings.
- Despite the stated crime‑prevention purpose, Guard units reported spending substantial time on beautification tasks such as landscaping and trash collection.