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Appeals court hears arguments on National Guard deployment in Washington, D.C.

The hearing comes more than 14 months after Trump deployed the Guard to the capital as a crime-fighting mission.

Updated Oct 14, 2026 · 16:34 UTC2 reports

The short version

  • A federal appeals court heard arguments Wednesday on the National Guard's deployment in Washington, D.C.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Trump ordered the Guard into the city in August 2025 for crime-fighting, and troop numbers have fallen from a peak near 5,000 to about 2,900.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • The Trump administration says the deployment helped reduce crime, while city officials and activists call it a waste of taxpayer money.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • A district judge ruled the deployment illegal, but her order was put on hold for 21 days to allow an appeal; the appeal's outcome is not yet reported.[Associated Press · ABC News]

Key facts

  • A federal appeals court heard arguments on Wednesday on the National Guard's deployment in Washington, D.C.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • President Trump deployed the Guard in August 2025 as part of what he said was a crime-fighting mission.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • The Trump administration says the deployment contributed to lower crime, while city officials and activists call it a waste of taxpayer money.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled last November that the deployment illegally intruded on local officials' authority; she put her order on hold for 21 days to allow the administration's appeal.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • The Guard force peaked at about 5,000 troops over the summer and was about 2,900 as of last week.[Associated Press · ABC News]

What remains uncertain

  • The reporting does not establish how the appeals court will rule on the deployment, or when it will rule.[Associated Press · ABC News]
  • Whether the deployment reduced crime is disputed; the reporting notes crime was already declining before the Guard arrived.[Associated Press · ABC News]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.