A federal judge delivered a sharp rebuke to President Donald Trump on Thursday, temporarily blocking his deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., and ruling that the president exceeded his authority by bypassing the capital’s mayor. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb declared the move unlawful under laws restricting military involvement in domestic policing. She stayed her order until December 11 to allow an immediate appeal.

The decision marks the latest courtroom defeat for Trump’s aggressive push to federalize National Guard units in multiple American cities to combat crime and unrest linked to his immigration crackdown. In the nation’s capital, where the president holds unique direct control over the Guard, Trump ordered roughly 2,000 troops deployed in August without consulting Mayor Muriel Bowser, prompting swift legal action from D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb.

Schwalb argued that the deployment violated the Posse Comitatus Act and usurped local law-enforcement powers, warning that permitting such unilateral action would set a dangerous precedent for militarized federal intervention in civilian affairs. The lawsuit accused Trump of turning the military into a personal police force in a jurisdiction without statehood or full congressional representation.

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The White House denounced the ruling as politically motivated interference with the president’s crime-fighting efforts, insisting the troops have successfully reduced violent incidents and operate only in supportive roles. Administration lawyers maintain that Trump’s constitutional authority over the federal district grants him unrestricted discretion to deploy the Guard without local approval.

Similar legal battles are unfolding in Los Angeles, Chicago, and Portland, where Democratic leaders have secured initial court victories against parallel troop deployments, though one appellate ruling has already allowed forces to remain in Los Angeles. The D.C. case now heads toward expedited higher-court review as the Trump administration fights to preserve its broadest interpretation of executive power over domestic security.

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