President Cites ‘National Emergency’ and ‘Roaring’ Crime as Justification
President Donald Trump threatened on Monday to once again federalize the Washington, D.C., police department and declare a National Emergency if the city’s police force does not resume cooperation with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The president’s statement, made on his Truth Social platform, comes after the expiration of a 30-day federal takeover of the city’s police force and a subsequent de-escalation of immigration enforcement efforts by the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
READ: FBI Director Says Charlie Kirk Assassin Texted His Plan To Kill
“It has been a beautiful thing to watch but, now, under pressure from the Radical Left Democrats, Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has presided over this violent criminal takeover of our Capital for years, has informed the Federal Government that the Metropolitan Police Department will no longer cooperate with ICE in removing and relocating dangerous illegal aliens,” Trump wrote.
The president’s initial federalization of the MPD in August, which included the deployment of National Guard troops, expired last week.
Trump claimed that this emergency measure transformed the city into “one of the safest” in the world, with “virtually NO CRIME” and a “booming” economy. However, Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, has pushed back against the continued use of MPD resources for immigration enforcement, a stance the president says will cause crime to come “roaring back.”
Mayor Bowser has consistently argued that immigration enforcement is not the role of the MPD. During the August federal takeover, she expressed concern that residents were “living in fear” due to the presence of immigration agents and National Guard troops, despite acknowledging a decrease in crime during that period. Crime data from the MPD showed a drop in reported crimes during the federal takeover from August 11 to September 10, 2025, compared to the same period in 2024.
It remains unclear whether Trump can unilaterally declare another emergency takeover of D.C. without congressional approval, which was not granted to extend the first emergency declaration.
The GOP-led House Oversight Committee recently advanced several crime bills intended to codify a previous executive order to “restore safety” in D.C. The committee is scheduled to hear testimony from Mayor Bowser, D.C. Council Chairman Phil Mendelson, and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb on Thursday.
This dispute is part of a broader trend of the administration deploying federal and military forces to combat crime in major cities. The president has also threatened similar actions in Memphis, Chicago, New Orleans, and Baltimore.
In Los Angeles, a federal judge recently ruled that the deployment of National Guard troops and Marines broke a 19th-century law that prohibits the use of soldiers for civilian law enforcement.
Please make a small donation to the Tampa Free Press to help sustain independent journalism. Your contribution enables us to continue delivering high-quality, local, and national news coverage.
Connect with us: Follow the Tampa Free Press on Facebook and Twitter for breaking news and updates.
Sign up: Subscribe to our free newsletter for a curated selection of top stories delivered straight to your inbox.
