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President Donald Trump is stiffening his administration's resolve to use military might as a crime-fighting tool in the wake of two National Guard members being shot within blocks of the White House.

The president is ordering 500 more troops to be deployed in Washington, joining 2,200 other guard members from across the country who've swarmed the nation's capital.

Trump placing the National Guard in U.S. cities has been a recurring theme of his administration largely as a plan to combat local crime and quell unrest over his immigration enforcement in Democrat-led municipalities, despite a significant outcry from state and local leaders.

U.S. District Judge Jia Cobb ruled Nov. 20 that the Trump administration illegally deployed the National Guard in Washington and blocked additional troops from enforcing the law in the nation’s capital without approval from its mayor.

In the order, the judge, a Biden appointee, said the deployment represented a "substantial risk." Cobb added it is "going to lead to a dangerous or deadly encounter that could be catastrophic for public safety."

Cobb temporarily paused the ruling to give the Trump administration a chance to appeal.

Trump had sent National Guard troops into other major cities – including Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland – to the alarm of Democrats. But as president he has unique powers over Washington, which is not part of any state.

The District of Columbia attorney general, however, accused the administration of unlawfully usurping control of the city’s law enforcement and violating a law prohibiting troops from doing domestic police work.

Here's a timeline of Trump's deployment of guard troops in the nation's capital:

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump sent National Guard to DC to fight crime. Then two were shot

Reporting by Michael Collins, Alberto Cuadra and Phillip M. Bailey, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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