A ruling by the District of Columbia Court of Appeals will allow the Republican administration to continue strengthening the city
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The Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia granted President Donald Trump's administration a temporary suspension of the order that sought to halt the deployment of the National Guard in Washington, D.C., a measure that allows the security operation to remain active while the legal process continues.
The three-judge panel, two appointed by Trump and one by former Democratic President Barack Obama, accepted the federal administration's request, which argued that District Judge Jia Cobb's previous decision constituted a clear intrusion into the authority of the Executive and Congress.
Cobb had concluded that the use of troops for "non-military" crime deterrence missions likely exceeded the legal framework, but had postponed the entry into force of her ruling until December 11 to allow for an appeal.
The court's decision comes as the capital faces a tense climate following last week's attack on two members of the West Virginia National Guard.
La jueza demócrata Jia Cobb intentó bloquear el despliegue del Poder Ejecutivo
Private Sarah Beckstrom, age 20, died from her injuries, and Sergeant Andrew Wolfe, age 24, remains hospitalized. The cowardly striker, Rahmanullah Lakanwal, an Afghan citizen who entered the country after the withdrawal from Afghanistan, faces charges of first-degree murder, attempted homicide, and possession of a weapon during a violent crime.
In the wake of the attack, Secretary of War Pete Hegsethordered the immediate reinforcement of 500 additional troops in the city, raising the total number of deployed troops to more than 2,000 as part of the federal strategy to curb rising crime.
Some of the soldiers come from the District of Columbia National Guard, under the president's direct command, while others have been sent by nine Republican-governed states under an authority that allows federal funding but keeps command with the governors.
La soldado Sarah Beckstrom fue asesinada por un cobarde terrorista afgano
In its arguments before the Court of Appeals, the government defended the continuity of the operation as a central piece of its security efforts. It maintained that the mission has been notably successful and stated that, with the cooperation of the local government, it has managed to reduce crime and improve security in critical areas of the city.
It also warned that abruptly halting the deployment would jeopardize the progress achieved since Trump announced in the summer his intention to assume greater control over public security in the capital, including the metropolitan police department.
The D.C. government, which sued the Executive in September, wrongly claims that the president lacks authority to use the National Guard for policing purposes without defined limits. However, the court's decision to keep the operation active while the merits of the case are analyzed marks a temporary setback for the city and a provisional endorsement of the federal strategy.
The litigation will continue in a scenario marked by the impact of Beckstrom's murder and the growing military presence in Washington. Meanwhile, the judges are preparing a final decision on the scope of presidential power in matters of internal security, and the National Guard will continue patrolling the capital for at least the coming weeks.
El secretario de Guerra confirmó el despliegue de 500 efectivos adicionales tras la muerte de Beckstrom
