Weeks after a federal judge sought to end the National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C., a panel of appeals court judges on Thursday stayed that ruling indefinitely.
The three-judge panel of the D.C. Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals puts the Nov. 20 ruling of U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb into limbo.
“The purpose of this administrative stay is to give the court sufficient opportunity to consider the motion for stay pending appeal and should not be construed in any way as a ruling on the merits of that motion,” the ruling said.
The ruling means that National Guard troops summoned to reduce crime in the nation’s capital could remain on duty after Dec. 11, the previous court-ordered deadline for their withdrawal, according to The Washington Post.
🚨 BREAKING: US APPEALS COURT SIDES WITH TRUMP, PREVENTS an activist judge from forcing the National Guard out of Washington, DC
Another loss for activist judges!
National Guard is here to stay protecting America’s capital for the foreseeable future! 🇺🇸 pic.twitter.com/D9CQUNnRUH
— Nick Sortor (@nicksortor) December 4, 2025
The full appeals court has not yet ruled on the Trump administration’s appeal. Thursday’s ruling means that the Guard presence will continue until that ruling.
Last week, Army National Guard Spec. Sarah Beckstrom, member of the West Virginia National Guard, was killed by a gunman who wounded a fellow National Guard member.
After the attack, President Donald Trump has sought an additional 500 National Guard troops.
“Our warriors are strong and we will not back down until our capital and our cities are secure,” Pentagon press secretary Kingsley Wilson said Tuesday.
Trump deployed the National Guard on Aug. 11 as part of his effort to make the city safe.
In appealing Cobb’s ruling, the Trump administration said it was an “incursion into the territory of both the President and Congress,” according to The Hill.
“And in the name of vindicating local interests, it threatens to derail a remarkably successful mission that, with the participation and collaboration of D.C. authorities, including the D.C. Mayor, has reduced crime and improved life in our Nation’s capital,” the administration said in its argument to the appeals court panel.
The National Guard are now joined by DC Police while patrolling the streets of Washington DC.
They previously were NOT required to be armed— up until two soldiers were ambushed last Wednesday.
(outside of Navy Yard Metro, Washington DC📍) pic.twitter.com/RNHIpRk8sl
— The DC MD VA Live (@TheDMVLive) December 4, 2025
As the deployment is fought out in court, Guard members are now all armed as they patrol D.C. street, according to the Guardian.
“I can confirm that everybody in DC is now armed, and a lot of our D.C. national guardsmen are now also doing joint patrols with members of the police department here in D.C.,” Wilson said.
Wilson said the Guard deployment is in response to an “urgent threat.”
“Our mission set is critical,” Wilson said. “We are keeping American cities safe all across this country, and we are going to remain committed to that. These missions aren’t going to stop in Chicago, in Los Angeles, in D.C.”
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