Federal law enforcement officials will patrol the streets of Washington DC the next seven days, the White House announced on Thursday.
The announcement comes after President Donald Trump said on Truth Social that he was considering taking control of the Washington DC police department, after a violent attack on a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffer.
Elon Musk, who headed DOGE, and was Trump's advisor till their rather public fallout and the Tesla CEO's departure, also called for the federalization of DC.
Meanwhile, announcing the White House's decision, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “Washington, DC is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long. President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens. Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C. President Trump is committed to making our Nation’s capital safer for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world.”
What does Donald Trump's latest order say
This enhanced presence of officers will begin as midnight, The Hill reported. It will be led by agents of the U.S. Park Police, along with officials from FBI, DEA, ATF, divisions of ICE, and other agencies.
Also Read | Why ex-DOGE Edward Coristine aka Big Balls was attacked in DC. Real reason revealed
{{/usCountry}}This enhanced presence of officers will begin as midnight, The Hill reported. It will be led by agents of the U.S. Park Police, along with officials from FBI, DEA, ATF, divisions of ICE, and other agencies.
Also Read | Why ex-DOGE Edward Coristine aka Big Balls was attacked in DC. Real reason revealed
{{/usCountry}}Federal law enforcement will be in marked units, the White House further said.
Thursday's order comes after the executive order in March, which established the Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, which aims ‘to ensure effective federal participation’ in enforcing immigration laws.
Trump's latest order comes after Edward Coristine, known as ‘Big Balls’, was attacked earlier this week, and cops have said two 15-year-olds were apprehended in the matter for attempted carjacking. Despite Trump's claims about crime in DC, numbers show crime was down 35 per cent in 2024 in DC, from the previous year. This marked a 30-year-low, The Hill reported, adding that data from the district shows the downward trend continuing.
Amid Trump's order, several posts on X have called for DC to be fully federalized. “I support Trump 100% to federalize Washington DC!,” one user noted.
Others, sharing the news of Trump's latest edict, said “NEXT STEP, WE FEDERALIZE DC. TIME FOR LAW AND ORDER”.