Judge blocks Trump order deploying National Guard in Washington
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A US judge blocked Trump’s order to deploy the National Guard in Washington, ruling the move may violate federal laws and the Constitution.
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National Guard soldiers patrol on the National Mall, Thursday, November 13, 2025, in Washington (AP)
A US federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s directive authorizing the deployment of National Guard units in Washington, ruling that the move may violate multiple federal laws and constitutional protections.
The decision, issued Thursday by Judge Jia Cobb, comes in response to a lawsuit filed by the District of Columbia. According to the ruling, the city argued that the deployment breached the Administrative Procedure Act, the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, the Emergency Management Assistance Compact, the Posse Comitatus Act, and the US Constitution.
The lawsuit names Trump, US Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, US Army Secretary Daniel Driscoll, and US Attorney General Pamela Bondi as defendants.
Order paused until next month
Judge Cobb’s order is paused until December 11, providing time for the administration to file an appeal before the injunction takes effect.
The dispute traces back to June, when the Trump administration began sending federal law enforcement and National Guard forces to major US cities in what it described as an effort to combat crime and unrest. Forces were deployed to Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago, Memphis, Portland, and San Francisco.
The policy sparked immediate legal pushback, with several district judges ruling that federal intervention in local policing exceeded executive authority and infringed on state and municipal powers.
National Guard withdrawal begins
The Pentagon has begun withdrawing National Guard troops from Chicago and Portland, weeks after US President Donald Trump deployed them to support immigration enforcement and respond to what he described as surging crime in several US cities, two defense officials said Sunday.
One official, speaking on condition of anonymity, confirmed that 200 California National Guard troops stationed in Portland and 200 Texas Guard members deployed to Chicago would begin returning to their home states as early as Sunday.
A spokesperson for California Governor Gavin Newsom said the Defense Department had notified the state of the move. “We’re glad they’re finally coming home. It’s long overdue,” the spokesperson said.
Officials in Oregon and Illinois said they had not yet received direct communication from federal authorities regarding the Pentagon troop reassignment, and there was no immediate comment from the US Department of Defense.
Deployments faced legal pushback, limited activity
The Title 10 military presence, which refers to federal control of military forces, remains in place in other cities where troops have been stationed, including Los Angeles, Memphis, and Washington, D.C.
Democratic leaders in several of these cities have opposed the deployments, and the issue has reached the US Supreme Court, which is expected to decide whether the Trump administration’s actions were lawful.
US Northern Command stated on X that the military would continue to assess and adjust its deployment levels, stating, “In the coming days, the Department will be shifting and/or rightsizing our Title 10 footprint in Portland, Los Angeles, and Chicago to ensure a constant, enduring, and long-term presence in each city.”
The command also noted that troops across those cities are trained, ready, and will be “employed whenever needed to support law enforcement and keep our citizens safe.”
