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News Topical, Digital Desk : In a major setback for the Trump administration in the US, a federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., in the name of crime prevention in the city.
A federal judge on Thursday blocked President Donald Trump's deployment of National Guard troops to Washington, D.C., dealing a temporary legal setback to Trump's efforts to send troops to American cities despite objections from local leaders.
violation of autonomy
Judge Zia Cobb, appointed by former President Biden, ruled that the deployment violated the autonomy of local officials and was legally invalid. However, she postponed her order until December 11 to allow the administration to appeal.
This legal battle is ongoing alongside several others across the country. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a statement that allowing Trump to use troops to enforce domestic law would set a dangerous precedent.
Meanwhile, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson said in a statement that Trump acted legally and called the lawsuit an attempt to undermine his successful efforts to curb violent crime.
The trial took place on September 4.
According to Reuters news agency, Schwalb, an elected Democrat, filed the lawsuit on September 4 after Trump announced the deployment on August 11. The lawsuit accuses Trump of illegally taking control of the city's law enforcement and violating a law that prevents troops from performing domestic police functions.
Trump has unique law enforcement powers in Washington, which is not part of any state, but local officials say he has overstepped the bounds by eliminating the mayor's policing authority and violated legal restrictions on federal troops performing civilian police functions.
Political stunt
Trump administration lawyers have called the lawsuit a political stunt in court documents, saying the president is free to deploy troops to Washington even without the approval of local leaders. The administration has also said the troops are operating legally and successfully reducing crime.
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