The Daily Fuckup

A federal judge on Nov. 20, 2025 ordered the Trump administration to stop deploying National Guard troops in Washington, D.C., in a ruling that found the government likely exceeded its authority under the legal framework it invoked. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb granted the District of Columbia’s request for preliminary relief and said the administration had not shown a lawful basis for using the Guard for non-military, crime-deterrence missions without a request from city authorities. The judge also stayed the order for 21 days, until Dec. 11, 2025, giving the government time to seek further review. ([oag.dc.gov](https://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/District%20of%20Columbia%20v.%20Trump%20--%20PI%20Order.pdf))

The case centers on a deployment that began Aug. 11, 2025 and, according to the court’s opinion, had involved more than 2,000 Guard members in the District. The judge said those troops were being used in support of law enforcement agencies and that the District had shown irreparable harm from the deployment. In granting preliminary relief, Cobb wrote that the D.C. government was likely to succeed on its claims that the deployment ran afoul of the Home Rule Act and that the federal government lacked statutory authority for the out-of-state Guard assistance it had requested. ([oag.dc.gov](https://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/National_Guard_Ruling.pdf))

The order does not take effect immediately because of the 21-day administrative stay. That means the legal fight is not over, and the administration can still seek emergency relief on appeal before the deadline passes. But the practical result for now is clear: the court has ordered the deployment ended, and the government must either persuade a higher court to intervene or stand down by Dec. 11, 2025. ([oag.dc.gov](https://oag.dc.gov/sites/default/files/2025-11/District%20of%20Columbia%20v.%20Trump%20--%20PI%20Order.pdf))