By Dietrich Knauth and Jack Queen (Reuters) -Federal judges in Portland, Oregon and Washington, D.C. held hearings on Friday in legal battles over the deployment of National Guard troops to the U.S. cities,

The appeals court's announcement came hours after a federal judge heard arguments on whether she should dissolve an order stopping the deployment.

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals paused any National Guard troops coming to Portland until 5 p.m. on Oct. 28. The court says the decision was made to allow the completion of pending en banc proceedings.

National Guard troops activated for a mission to Portland remained in limbo Wednesday, as legal proceedings dragged on even after an appeals court earlier this week removed a key hurdle that was blocking their deployment to the city.

Two significant legal actions — including a possible decision from the U.S. Supreme Court — are expected this week. While both would be preliminary, they could impact how courts weigh in on such cases going forward.