Hundreds of federal agents and National Guard members patrol the streets of Washington D.C., where law enforcement presence is growing Thursday after President Donald Trump placed the capital’s police under federal control as part of a crackdown on crime.
Beginning last night, members of agencies such as the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) increased their tours of the city, in shifts that will cover 24 hours a day, and set up checkpoints in several areas.
Armored vehicles flanked by National Guard troops could be seen in areas of the iconic National Mall, summoned by Trump, who on Monday declared a “Public Safety Emergency” to fight what he calls a “crime wave” in Washington D.C., something local authorities reject.
“This is a multi-agency task force, created by the president, the attorney general (Pam Bondi) and our secretary of defense (Pete Hegseth). Last night, 19 agencies worked together in seven districts,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told Fox News Thursday.
According to Leavitt, officers made 45 arrests for second- and first-degree assault offenses, along with arrests for “distribution of illegal drugs and narcotics that have already been taken off the streets.”
He added that they also detained 29 undocumented immigrants, “many of whom had final deportation orders”.
Trump took control of the Washington D.C. Police on Monday, when he announced the activation of some 800 National Guard troops as part of a campaign to “restore law and order” in the capital, under a clause of the so-called Home Rule Act, which has governed Washington’s home rule since 1973.
The president also warned – without offering further details – that he would put an end to homeless encampments and impose a tough hand on “juvenile delinquents who terrorize the capital.”
On Wednesday, Trump said he will seek to extend federal control over law enforcement in the capital after deeming the 30 days stipulated in the law “not enough” to “fight crime” in the city.
A coalition of organizations, defending the rights of homeless people in Washington, denounced “the illegal and inhumane incarceration and internment” of these individuals by the Trump Administration, operations that they claim will begin this Friday morning.
They insist that there is currently very limited space in the city’s shelters for the 900 or so people sleeping rough in Washington, where social services remain limited.
“Making homelessness a crime does not solve the problem, wastes money and deprives Washington D. C.’s homeless residents of their rights and dignity,” the coalition said in a statement offering tips for handling interactions with law enforcement, EFE reported.
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