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DC homeless camps being cleared out amid federal takeover
As President Donald Trump looks to make good on his promise to clean up the District, city crews moved in today to clear out homeless encampments and it's expected to ramp up very soon. FOX 5's Sydney Persing is live now in Northwest monitoring the situation.
WASHINGTON - The Trump administration’s law enforcement takeover of Washington escalated Thursday night as Attorney General Pam Bondi appointed the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration as the city’s "emergency police commissioner."
In a directive, Bondi said DEA Administrator Terry Cole will assume "powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police." The Metropolitan Police Department must receive Cole’s approval before issuing any orders.
Why did the DEA chief become DC’s emergency police commissioner?
What we know:
The move comes as federal agencies and National Guard troops expand their footprint across D.C., with forces posted at Union Station, on the National Mall and along busy commercial corridors.
President Donald Trump invoked his authority to take over federal law enforcement in the city for 30 days, saying the deployment is aimed at restoring "law and order" and strengthening immigration enforcement.
Federal law enforcement officers gather near a checkpoint in Washington, D.C., during increased security operations under the Trump administration’s takeover of city policing. (Photographer: Kayla Bartkowski/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
The Metropolitan Police Department has already issued an order allowing its officers to share information with immigration authorities, transport immigration officials, and assist with detaining individuals — a shift away from the District’s long-standing policy of limiting cooperation with civil immigration enforcement.
What we don't know:
It’s unclear how long the expanded federal presence will remain in place or whether the 30-day period will be extended.
In a statement released late Thursday, the Attorney General for the District of Columbia Brian Schalb said the order is "unlawful" and MPD chief Pamela Smith is "not legally obligated to follow it."
Additionally, Mayor Muriel Bowser said, "Let us be clear about what the law requires during a Presidential declared emergency: it requires the mayor of Washington, DC to provide the services of the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes at the request of the President. We have followed the law. In reference to the U.S. Attorney General’s order, there is no statute that conveys the District’s personnel authority to a federal official."
Where are law enforcement and National Guard troops stationed in DC?
Local perspective:
Federal officers and National Guard members have been deployed across several high-profile areas of Washington, D.C.
Homeland Security Investigations agents have been patrolling the U Street corridor, while Drug Enforcement Administration officers have been stationed on the National Mall with Guard members nearby. DEA agents have also joined Metropolitan Police Department patrols in the Navy Yard neighborhood, and FBI agents have been spotted along Massachusetts Avenue.
A vehicle checkpoint has been set up on 14th Street Northwest, adding to the increased federal presence in the city.
For homeless residents, uncertainty ahead
What's next:
Thursday also brought changes for some of the city’s most vulnerable residents. Volunteers and city staff helped people pack up their belongings at several long-standing homeless encampments.
Officials described the departures as voluntary, but advocates warned of looming forced removals and pointed to signs announcing "general cleanup" operations next week.
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EXCLUSIVE: U.S. Marshals Service Director Gady Serralta on DC takeover
U.S. Marshals Service Director Gady Serralta spoke exclusively with FOX 5 about the Trump administration's federal takeover of D.C. on Thursday.
In Washington Circle, protesters held signs criticizing the federal crackdown while a construction crew cleared the remains of tents.
The Source: This report is based on information from the Associated Press, statements from the White House and Pentagon, and local reporting on conditions in Washington, D.C.