As court rulings shift “hour by hour,” experts say city officials must build a united front with law enforcement, businesses and communities — before troops arrive.

The Supreme Court is done hearing argument for October, but that does not mean it’s done making major rulings. There are several applications awaiting action on the court’s interim docket, including the Trump administration’s request to be allowed to federalize and deploy the National Guard within Illinois and its attempt to change the current rules for sex markers on passports.

Court reveals possible National Guard presence in D.C. until 2026. Concerns over city authority and public safety raised.

The roughly 2,500 National Guard members patrolling D.C. streets could remain well past November, and possibly beyond the America250 celebrations in 2026.

Deployment can move forward, for now, under a preliminary ruling by the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. But legal wrangling will likely continue.