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Only five days have passed since President Donald Trump signed an executive order to federalize the D.C. police force. Since then, the city has seen everything from a sandwich-throwing Department of Justice worker to bulldozers tearing down homeless encampments.
So where does the city stand now? Let’s start from the beginning:
Monday
On Monday, President Trump signed an executive order to take over the Metropolitan Police Department and deploy 800 members of the National Guard into D.C., citing a “public safety emergency” in the city due to “out-of-control crime.”
He added that the federal government would be in charge of beautification processes, including filling potholes, replacing road medians and clearing out homeless encampments on public and federal property.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser called the move “unsettling and unprecedented,” and continued to cite crime statistics that show that violent crime in the city is at a 30-year low.
Under the Home Rule Act, D.C. is granted limited political autonomy with a mayor and city council. The mayor is allowed to appoint heads of D.C. agencies, including the police department.
“MPD reports to the chief of police, and they are subject to D.C. and local laws, as well as federal laws,” Bowser said on Monday. “Nothing about our organizational chart has changed, and nothing in the executive order would indicate otherwise.”
Tuesday
On Tuesday, hundreds of members of the National Guard wearing fatigues and carrying large duffel bags reported to the D.C. Armory.
Some were lined up near the base of the Washington Monument in sand-colored Humvees; others patrolled the streets in pairs.
One man who was visiting from Pennsylvania told WTOP’s Kyle Cooper he was a bit “disturbed by it.”
Terry Cole, head of the Drug Enforcement Agency, was chosen to be the interim federal administrator for D.C.’s police department.
District officials maintained that Police Chief Pamela Smith was still in command of the department and that officers should report to her.
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin, however, praised Trump’s decision to have Cole oversee the undermanned D.C. police for 30 days, under the president’s emergency powers.
“It is a bad day for criminals in Washington, D.C.,” Youngkin said on X. “Terry Cole knows from our partnership with Director @Kash_Patel and General @PamBondi in Virginia that when we back the blue and let police catch criminals- we make our streets safer!”
Wednesday
On Wednesday, on top of the roaming National Guard members, hundreds of federal law enforcement agents were patrolling D.C. streets.
President Trump said he’d be seeking a “long-term extension” of the 30-day federal takeover of the police department from Congress.
“We’re gonna be asking for extensions on that, long-term extensions, because you can’t have 30 days,” he said. “We’re gonna do this very quickly. But we’re gonna want extensions. I don’t want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will.”
The White House said 45 arrests were made Wednesday night at checkpoints around D.C.’s popular nightlife areas.
Crews also began clearing out homeless encampments on Wednesday near the Lincoln Memorial and the Kennedy Center. Volunteers helped homeless people leave their long-standing tents, carrying their belonging in trash bags and shopping carts.
Meanwhile, advocates for the homeless community are now trying to get many of the several hundred people living on the streets into shelters.
“We’ve increased our shelter capacity so people can come in, and outreach workers are out there every day telling people there are some beds that are available, some resources that are available,” Amber Harding, with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, said.
The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless estimates that only around 40 beds are available currently for the hundreds living on the street.
Thursday
Days prior, even before the president’s executive order, Border Patrol and FBI agents patrolled the U Street corridor. A man, later identified as 37-year-old Sean Charles Dunn, threw a Subway sandwich at a federal agents, leading to a short foot chase and a viral video.
Dunn was identified as an international affairs specialist in the Justice Department’s criminal division, and was fired from his position. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a post on X that Dunn had been charged with felony assault.
“This is an example of the Deep State we have been up against for seven months as we work to refocus DOJ. You will NOT work in this administration while disrespecting our government and law enforcement,” she wrote.
Later that night, Bondi announced that Cole would replace the chief of the District’s police department.
In a letter with his legal opinion, District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb wrote that the order is “unlawful,” and goes against the authority that the Home Rule Act allows the mayor the executive power to appoint heads of D.C. agencies.
Schwalb added that the despite the federal takeover of the city’s police department, the Home Rule Act does “not authorize the President, or his delegee, to remove or replace the Chief of Police.”
The letter, which was directed toward Chief of Police Pamela Smith, said members of the police department have a legal duty to continue following orders from Smith, and “not the orders of any official not appointed by the Mayor.”
Bondi’s directive came hours after Smith directed D.C. police officers to share information with immigration agencies regarding people not in custody — such as someone involved in a traffic stop or checkpoint. The Justice Department said Bondi disagreed with the police chief’s directive because it allowed for continued enforcement of “sanctuary policies.”
Friday
After returning from Martha’s Vineyard for a family commitment, much to critics’ chagrin, Mayor Bowser joined Attorney General Schwalb at a news conference where he announced the city would be suing the federal government over what he called an “attempted hostile takeover” of D.C.’s police department.
The Trump administration reversed course after an emergency hearing in D.C. District Court, where Judge Ana Reyes indicated the administration did not have the authority to usurp the position of D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith.
“A hostile takeover of our police force is not going to happen. Chief Smith remains in control of the police department under the supervision of our mayor. Very important win for Home Rule today,” Schwalb said.
Bowser supported the lawsuit, adding, “I am encouraged by the judge’s remarks and the other the federal government making the changes that were suggested, and the judge’s willingness to rule.”
Despite the technical win for D.C., Bondi ordered D.C. police to provide assistance with “the enforcement of federal immigration law,” including “locating, apprehending, and detaining” immigrants in the U.S. illegally. She noted that Cole would not be the police chief but rather a “designee” of the AG.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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