Law enforcement has arrested more than 100 people in Washington, D.C., since Aug. 7 as President Donald Trump federalized the city’s police force and emphasized fighting crime in the area, a White House official told the Washington Examiner.
Trump federalized the Metropolitan Police Department on Monday as several other federal agencies, including the FBI, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Drug Enforcement Administration, Customs and Border Protection, and Park Police, among others, joined in on crime prevention efforts.
Nearly 1,500 authorities, including 700 federal agents, 30 National Guard troops, and 750 MPD personnel, assisted in enforcement efforts on Tuesday night.
Those arrested so far face charges ranging from narcotics, firearms, drunk driving, and warrant violations. At least one person has been charged with homicide, 24 guns were seized, and 23 of those arrested were in the United States illegally, an official told NewsNation.
The White House official also said a “significantly higher” National Guard presence is expected on Wednesday night. On Thursday, the National Guard will begin patrolling 24 hours a day.
MPD Chief Pamela Smith has welcomed the extra law enforcement presence. “You’re talking about 500 additional personnel in the District of Columbia,” Smith said. “We’re down in numbers with our D.C. police officers. So this enhanced presence is going to impact us in a positive way.”
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has expressed mixed feelings about Trump’s federal enforcement effort. She said the president’s effort amounts to an “authoritarian push” in a meeting with community leaders Tuesday but expressed that she hopes the federal surge “is useful for us” on Wednesday morning.
Trump has said he wants the law enforcement presence to last longer than the 30 days it’s currently slated for.
“We’re going to be asking for extensions on that, long-term extensions, because you can’t have 30 days,” Trump said on Wednesday at the Kennedy Center.
Part of the effort is a directive to clear out homeless encampments and to assist homeless people off the streets. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said Tuesday that people in homeless encampments will be asked to leave, be placed in a shelter, or offered addiction or mental health services.
If they don’t take any of the offers, they will be subject to a fine or arrest.
“If they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time,” Leavitt said. “Again, these are preexisting laws that are already on the books. They have not been enforced.”
Homeless advocates told NewsNation that district shelter space is “very limited.” One person living in one of the encampments said the process is “going to be a mess.”
Trump’s influence on district law enforcement has drawn condemnation from liberals who believe he is overreaching his authority and declaring an emergency where there isn’t one. Crime in the district has declined for decades.
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There is some evidence for concern in the region.
A Council on Criminal Justice report in July found that violent crime in Washington resulted in death more often than in 17 other cities from 2018 to 2024, with 2024 lethality data in the district showing a 341% increase when compared to data from 2012.