TRUMP ADMINISTRATION BACKS DOWN ON DC POLICE TAKEOVER, BUT DIRECTS COOPERATION WITH FEDERAL IMMIGRATION ENFORCEMENT

The Trump administration has reversed its decision to take full control of the Washington, D.C. police department, agreeing to leave Chief Pamela Smith in charge. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi has directed the police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, regardless of city laws. This move comes after D.C. officials sued to block President Donald Trump’s takeover of the police department.

The administration’s decision to back down was made after intense skepticism from U.S. District Judge Ana Reyes, who indicated that the law likely doesn’t grant the Trump administration the power to fully take over city police. Reyes stated, “The way I read the statute, the president can ask, the mayor must provide, but the president can’t control.”

Despite the compromise, Bondi signaled that the administration would continue to pressure D.C. leaders to help federal authorities pursue immigrants in the country illegally. “We remain committed to working closely with Mayor Bowser,” Bondi said, while criticizing D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb for opposing their efforts to improve public safety.

Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office is still evaluating how to comply with the new order on immigration enforcement operations. The police department has eased some restrictions on cooperating with federal officials but reaffirmed its commitment to following the district’s sanctuary city laws. Bowser wrote in a letter to D.C. citizens, “It has been an unsettling and unprecedented week in our city. Over the course of a week, the surge in federal law enforcement across D.C. has created waves of anxiety.”

The Trump administration’s move is part of a broader effort to test the limits of his legal authorities and carry out his agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his tough-on-crime message and plans for mass deportation. This marks one of the most sweeping assertions of federal authority over a local government in modern times.

Immigrant advocates are advising immigrants to be cautious, with Anusce Sanai, associate legal director for Ayuda, saying, “Even with the most anti-immigrant administration, we would always tell our clients that they must call the police, that they should call the police. But now we find ourselves that we have to be very careful on what we advise.”

As the situation unfolds, ICE and federal officers have been conducting roving patrols around the city, and a hotline set up by immigration advocates is receiving a high volume of calls. The presence of National Guard troops and Humvees in prominent locations has added to the tension, with over 100 protesters gathering outside police headquarters to chant “Protect home rule!” and wave signs saying “Resist!”.