Military ordered to displace homeless populace of Washington D.C. - Authorities Order Forcible Removal of Homeless Individuals from Washington Premises by National Guard
In a series of controversial moves, US President Donald Trump has announced plans to address crime and homelessness in Washington D.C.
According to city police data, overall crime has decreased by 7% in Washington, with violent crime seeing a more significant drop of 26% in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the previous year[1]. Despite this, Trump has expressed concern over a violent attack on a young government employee, which has angered him and appears to be a response to the current situation in Washington.
Trump's plans include the potential deployment of hundreds of members of the National Guard, a move that has not yet been finalised. It's important to note that unlike in US states, the National Guard in Washington is directly under the president's control. Trump had already deployed the National Guard in Washington after his supporters stormed the Capitol on January 6, 2021. Currently, there are 450 federal agents already deployed in the city, according to a White House representative.
The White House has remained silent on the legal basis on which Trump wants to expel people from Washington. However, the mayor of Washington, Muriel Bowser, has rejected Trump's portrayal of the situation in the city, stating that "we are not in 2023 anymore" in reference to a significant increase in crime that occurred in that year[2].
Trump also plans to incarcerate criminals in Washington and provide accommodations for homeless people, but far away from the city. This decision has been met with resistance from Mayor Bowser, who is resisting Trump's plans to evict homeless people from Washington.
The organization Community Partnership works to combat homelessness in Washington D.C., but there are no recent figures available to determine the extent of homelessness in the city. According to previous reports, homelessness in D.C. has often been cited as a continuing urban challenge.
Local leaders, including Senator Chris Van Hollen, have criticised Trump's actions as an abuse of power and a manufactured emergency. Mayor Bowser has not explicitly praised or supported the National Guard deployment to address homelessness or crime, but has conceded that Trump had the legal authority to deploy the National Guard to Washington.
[1] Washington's city police data, [source] [2] Muriel Bowser's statement, [source]
Donald Trump's proposed strategies to combat crime and homelessness in Washington D.C. involve the potential deployment of the National Guard, the incarceration of criminals in distant facilities, and providing accommodations for homeless individuals away from the city. These plans have received resistance from Mayor Muriel Bowser, particularly regarding the eviction of homeless individuals from Washington. The ongoing debate over these issues is a significant topic in politics and general news, with some referring to it as an instance of policy-and-legislation, war-and-conflicts, and crime-and-justice. The controversy surrounding Trump's actions has led to criticism from local leaders, such as Senator Chris Van Hollen, who view them as an abuse of power and a manufactured emergency. In contrast, Mayor Bowser has acknowledged Trump's legal authority to deploy the National Guard to Washington, but has yet to express explicit support for this move.
