President Donald Trump has threatened to take drastic measures should Mayor Muriel Bowser maintain her stance on immigration enforcement in Washington, D.C. On Monday, he suggested a potential federal takeover of the city’s police as local authorities continue to clash over immigration cooperation.
Trump's emergency powers over D.C.\'s police expired last week. Following this lapse, Mayor Bowser confirmed that the city would not collaborate with Immigration, Customs and Enforcement (ICE) regarding local immigration enforcement operations. Despite claims from both parties about crime rates in D.C., Trump contended that his intervention had led to improvements in safety, although data indicates that crime was already decreasing before his law enforcement surge.
In a post on social media, Trump hinted at declaring a National Emergency and federalizing the police if the city fails to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement efforts. The White House, however, refrained from specifying whether Trump would act on his threats or consider extending his previous order.
While Bowser has expressed intentions to maintain cooperation with certain federal agencies, including the FBI and DEA, her order explicitly excludes ICE, underlining her administration's commitment to not pursue aggressive immigration policies through local law enforcement.
The ongoing tension comes as the House of Representatives discusses several bills concerning D.C., suggesting restrictions on local governance that could impact judicial processes and legislative autonomy. D.C. operates under a limited home rule that still affords Congress oversight on important local legislative actions, igniting further debate on the future of self-governance in the district.
