Federal Judge Halts Full Federal Takeover of Washington D.C. Police
The Trump administration’s attempt to exert federal control over the Washington D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) has been partially curtailed by a federal judge, who ordered a temporary agreement between the administration and city officials. This intervention aims to prevent a potentially chaotic situation regarding command and control of the city’s police force.
Initially, the administration planned a complete takeover, with the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) positioned as the emergency police commissioner. However, following the judge’s order, U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi revised the plan. The DEA head will now serve as a liaison between the Trump administration and the MPD’s chief, rather than assuming full command.
The legal challenge was initiated by Washington, D.C., Attorney General Brian Schwalb, who argued that Bondi’s original directive threatened to create operational chaos within the police department. The directive mandated that the MPD seek approval from the DEA head, Terry Cole, before implementing any new policy directives.
D.C. Attorney General Calls Outcome a ‘Win’
The lawsuit filed by the District of Columbia asserted that the initial order jeopardized the authority of the current Metropolitan Police Chief, Pamela Smith, and created uncertainty regarding the policies that the agency’s 3,100 officers should follow. The suit argued that it effectively transferred control of the local police force from the District and its residents to the federal government.
Following the hearing, Schwalb characterized the outcome as “a win,” expressing his belief that Chief Smith and Mayor Muriel Bowser would rightfully remain in command of the MPD.
Bondi’s initial two-page order represented the most aggressive action taken by the Trump administration against the police department since the president announced his intention to take command of the force. Trump invoked a rarely used provision of a 1973 federal law that grants home rule to the capital city’s residents. He argued that additional forces, including the 800 D.C. National Guard troops he deployed, were necessary to restore safety to the city.
Trump Administration Cites Crime Concerns
Trump has portrayed Washington D.C. as a city plagued by violent crime, describing it as a “tragic emergency” in need of “rescuing” from “crime, bloodshed, bedlam and squalor and worse.”
However, data from the Justice Department indicates that violent crime in the District of Columbia decreased by 35% last year compared to 2023, reaching its lowest level in over 30 years. The data also revealed declines in homicides, robberies, armed carjackings, and assaults with a dangerous weapon.
Trump has also hinted at the possibility of extending federal control to other U.S. cities, including Baltimore, New York, and Oakland, California.
Immigration Enforcement at the Forefront
Bondi stated that her initial order was intended to end Washington’s status as a sanctuary city, where officers are generally prohibited from assisting in immigration enforcement. The increased federal presence has raised concerns within the city’s immigrant community and sparked frustration among residents who view it as unnecessarily intimidating.
Under the revised order, the local police department is still expected to cooperate with the federal government in immigration enforcement. Judge Reyes has yet to address this issue or other aspects of the federal takeover, but has indicated that she will do so as early as next week.
Federal Agents Increase Presence in the City
For several days, federal agents have joined local police officers in conducting foot patrols and traffic stops, establishing checkpoints that have resulted in over two dozen immigration violations. One such checkpoint was set up on a major thoroughfare in a popular residential neighborhood, a tactic often employed near the southern border to verify drivers’ documentation.
Prior to the revised order, Chief Smith had relaxed policies that restricted officers working alongside federal agents from discussing the immigration statuses of individuals they stopped.
Bondi rescinded that order and went further, removing city regulations enacted in recent years that prohibit local officers from arresting individuals solely for being undocumented and limit most forms of cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
Bondi stated that local law enforcement must provide information to Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security officers regarding undocumented individuals residing in D.C.
Legal Interpretations Clash
The order and the subsequent lawsuit highlight fundamentally different interpretations of the president’s authority over the nation’s capital.
Schwalb argued that the 1973 District of Columbia Home Rule Act allows the president to direct the mayor to provide police services to address an emergency but does not grant the president the power to remove the police chief, alter the chain of command, or dictate police department policy.
Bondi contended that the law, along with Trump’s executive order, grants Cole the authority to issue orders and directives to rank-and-file officers. The potential consequences of disagreements between Cole and local police leaders remain unclear.
In a statement included in the Washington lawsuit, Chief Smith stated that in her nearly three decades in law enforcement, she had never encountered a government action that posed a greater threat to law and order than this directive.
