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Federal takeover in D.C. leads to more than 240 arrests, 38 firearms seized

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Published  August 16, 2025 2:51pm EDT
Washington, D.C.
FOX 5 DC
Protests against Trump's federal takeover in DC

Protests against Trump's federal takeover in DC

Protestors are hitting the streets in D.C., speaking out against President Donald Trump's federal takeover.

The Brief

    • The latest numbers from the federal police takeover in D.C. have revealed that there have been more than 240 total arrests and 38 firearms seized since Thursday, August 7.
    • Last night's operations alone led to 52 arrests, with 28 of those being migrants.
    • Twenty-five homeless encampments were removed, and the D.C. National Guard is conducting patrols in the area.

WASHINGTON, D.C. - A White House official has today revealed that more than 240 arrests have been made in the district since President Donald Trump's federal takeover began.

What we know:

This initiative, which is in compliance with the President's March Executive Order, saw 52 arrests during Friday night's operations. In total, 38 firearms have been seized since the initiative began August 7. This is more than double the more than 120 arrests reported by FBI Director Kash Patel just a few days ago.

Among the 52 people taken into custody, 28 were defined as migrants, according to a White House official. Three illegal firearms were also seized during the night's operations. The arrests included charges for armed robbery, possession with intent to distribute and outstanding warrants for grand larceny.

In addition to the arrests, 25 homeless encampments were removed during Friday's reporting period. Officials noted that teams reported no negative confrontations and did not make any arrests during the removals.

According to a White House official, 22 multi-agency teams were deployed throughout all seven districts in D.C. to promote public safety and arrest violent offenders. The official stated there were over 1,800 participants in last night’s operations.

The D.C. National Guard is also involved in the initiative, conducting roving patrols on foot and in vehicles around the National Mall and Union Station. The official clarified that the National Guard is not making arrests at this time but may be armed to protect federal assets and deter violent crime.

On Saturday, August 16, the West Virginia National Guard (WVNG) was directed by Gov. Patrick Morrisey to support Trump's federal takeover by deploying troops to D.C. at the request of the Trump administration.

Washington, D.C.