Where the Trump admin's court fight over National Guard in DC stands in wake of shooting
The Trump administration is fighting with Washington, D.C., over whether it is legally allowed to deploy hundreds of National Guard members in the nation's capital as part of a monthslong...
By Fox News · Fox News
The Trump administration is fighting with Washington, D.C. , over whether it is legally allowed to deploy hundreds of National Guard members in the nation's capital as part of a monthslong battle, certain to come under heightened scrutiny in the aftermath of Wednesday's attack on two soldiers. The dispute has risen to the appeals court level, where the Department of Justice (DOJ) asked the court recently to intervene and put a hold on U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb's order blocking the administration from using the National Guard. Cobb's order, issued Nov. 20, was not set to go into effect until mid-December to give the DOJ a chance to challenge it. The DOJ appealed the order Tuesday, one day prior to the attack. A DOJ spokesperson confirmed to Fox News Digital Friday that the department is pressing forward with the appeal — the latest sign that the administration is not backing down from its decision to use the National Guard forces as part of its nationwide crackdown on illegal immigration and crime. OFFICIALS ID WOUNDED NATIONAL GUARD MEMBERS ON JOB LESS THAN 24 HOURS BEFORE DC AMBUSH AS PROBE INTENSIFIES The court fight comes as two members of the West Virginia National Guard were shot Wednesday afternoon near the White House. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the suspect, an Afghan national named Rahmanullah Lakanwal who once assisted the CIA overseas, will face at least one charge of first-degree murder. Lakanwal allegedly ambushed Sarah Beckstrom, 20, and Andrew Wolfe, 24, in a targeted attack that President Donald Trump described as an "act of terror." Beckstrom died of her injuries, while Wolfe remained in critical condition Friday, authorities said. In response to the incident, Trump said he ordered another 500 National Guard members to be deployed to Washington. "We will not be deterred from the mission the service members were so nobly fulfilling," Trump said of his decision to mobilize the additional troops, adding, "We will make America totally safe agai…