A U.S. appeals court will allow President Donald Trump to keep thousands of national guard troops in Washington for now, temporarily halting a district judge¡¯s ruling that declared the deployment unlawful.

The order on Thursday from a three-judge panel of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit isn¡¯t a final decision, but it bolsters Trump¡¯s efforts to mobilize military forces in Democrat-led cities, often over objections from local officials.

More than 2,000 troops are deployed in Washington, including approximately half from other states. U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb¡¯s injunction against the administration was set to take effect on Dec. 11. The latest order delays that deadline until the appeals court decides whether to impose a longer-term pause while the underlying legal fight continues.