Moves homeless individuals away from Washington suggested by Trump
In a controversial move, former President Donald Trump has ordered the deployment of 800 National Guard troops and hundreds of federal agents to Washington, D.C., aiming to address what he perceives as rising crime and homelessness in the city.
According to reports, Trump has temporarily taken control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department using emergency powers under the Home Rule Act. He has cited concerns over the city being "taken over by violent gangs, criminals, and homeless encampments."
However, these claims have been contested by Washington's Mayor Muriel Bowser, who highlighted a 30-year low in violent crime based on official police data. Despite concerns remaining over homicide rates, Mayor Bowser emphasized that the city is not experiencing a crime spike.
The White House has warned that individuals refusing to leave could face fines or jail time. Critics, including homeless advocates, argue that Trump's actions will worsen the homelessness crisis given the lack of affordable housing and support services. Many view this move as a political power grab targeting D.C., a majority-Black and Democratic-led city.
Trump's actions come weeks after deploying California's military reserve force into Los Angeles, a move that was met with objections from local leaders and law enforcement. The president has long publicly chafed at the arrangement where Washington, D.C., is run by the locally elected government of the District of Columbia under congressional oversight. He has threatened to federalize the city in the past.
The president has stated that he aims to make Washington safer and more beautiful. He also declared that criminals in the city will be swiftly imprisoned. The Republican billionaire has announced a press conference for Monday, where he is expected to reveal his plans for the city.
Mayor Bowser, in her remarks, did not criticize Trump but called any comparison of Washington to a war-torn country as hyperbolic and false. In 2024, the city's crime rates were at their lowest in three decades, as per figures from the Justice Department before Trump took office. Violent crime in the capital fell by 26 percent in the first half of 2025 compared with a year earlier, according to police statistics.
Washington is ranked 15th on a list of major US cities by homeless population, according to government statistics from last year. The number of homeless people in Washington is down from pre-pandemic levels.
[1] Source: The Washington Post, CNN, and ABC News.
- The controversy surrounding former President Trump's actions deepens as he deploys troops and federal agents to address crime and homelessness in Washington, D.C., despite Mayor Muriel Bowser's assertion that the city is not experiencing a crime spike.
- The political landscape is abuzz with discourse over Trump's decision to temporarily take control of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department, with critics claiming it will exacerbate the homelessness crisis due to insufficient affordable housing and support services.
- The President's recent involvement in immigration, through his control of local law enforcement and border policies, as well as his actions during war-and-conflicts in the past, have raised concerns about the balance of policy-and-legislation and general-news coverage in politics.
