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Donald Trump has taken unprecedented federal control of Washington DC's Metropolitan Police Department for 30 days, deploying National Guard troops to the capital. The administration is now giving homeless people an ultimatum: enter shelters or treatment facilities, or face jail time and fines.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said: "If they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time." Nearly 800 people currently sleep on DC streets, with more than 3,200 in emergency shelters according to Community Partnership data.
Federal takeover targets Democratic cities
Trump used provisions in the 1973 DC Home Rule Act to seize control of local law enforcement, a legal mechanism that allows presidential control during declared emergencies. The president said during Monday's press briefing: "They'll not be allowed to turn our capital into a wasteland for the world to see."
The administration plans to extend similar military deployments to other Democratic-controlled cities including Baltimore, Oakland, and New York. Trump has already deployed National Guard and Marines to Los Angeles, establishing a pattern of federal intervention in Democratic strongholds.
Crime data contradicts emergency claims
The Guardian reports that crime in DC has dropped precipitously over the past decade, with violent crimes declining by more than half since 2013. This contradicts the emergency justification used for the unprecedented federal takeover.
"If our capital is dirty, our whole country is dirty, and they don't respect us," Trump added. The administration has already removed more than 70 homeless camps from federal land since March, with the final two encampments scheduled for removal this week.
Advocates condemn detention approach
Homelessness advocates have strongly criticised the measures as inhumane and counterproductive. Jesse Rabinowitz from the National Homelessness Law Center said: "What Trump is proposing is government-run detention camps and massive psychiatric asylums."
Ann Oliva from the National Alliance to End Homelessness argued: "Homelessness is not a criminal issue. It is an economic issue." She emphasised that Trump's takeover "does nothing" to make housing more affordable for people living in DC.
Broader strategy targets nationwide expansion
The administration's approach extends beyond immediate enforcement in the capital. Trump's campaign platform promised to create "tent cities" and reopen mental institutions for those deemed "dangerously deranged."
Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency has shut down the US Interagency Council on Homelessness, putting all staff on administrative leave. The council previously coordinated federal policy to combat homelessness across government agencies.
Warning of national implications
Rabinowitz warned that the DC actions represent a broader threat: "He made it very clear that what starts in DC will spread to the rest of the country, and that should terrify everyone." More than 19,000 people become homeless for the first time every week nationwide.
The White House has not ruled out forcibly moving people experiencing homelessness out of DC entirely. "We're exploring how we could do that," Leavitt said.
Sources used: "The Independent", "The Guardian" Note: This article has been edited with the help of Artificial Intelligence.
