Particle.news
Download on the App Store
44 ARTICLES
·
1h ago

Bondi Appoints DEA Head as DC Emergency Police Commissioner, Ends Sanctuary Policies

The decision has generated immediate legal challenges from D.C. officials who have refused to comply.

Members of the National Guard can be seen arriving at the Guard’s headquarters at the D.C. Armory on August 12, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)
Image
President Donald Trump gestures as he speaks about Javelin anti-tank missiles next to Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and Attorney General Pam Bondi during a press conference about deploying federal law enforcement agents in Washington to bolster the local police presence, in the Press Briefing Room at the White House, in Washington D.C., on Aug. 11, 2025.
Image

Overview

  • Attorney General Pam Bondi on August 14 issued a directive rescinding MPD sanctuary orders and naming DEA Administrator Terry Cole as Washington’s emergency police commissioner.
  • Terry Cole assumes all powers and duties of the Metropolitan Police Department chief and must approve any new departmental directives before they take effect.
  • Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb have deemed the order unlawful and instructed MPD officers to continue following local leadership’s commands.
  • Federal forces and about 800 National Guard troops remain deployed across the city, conducting checkpoints, immigration-related arrests and homeless encampment clearances.
  • The takeover, authorized under Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act, expires automatically after a limited period and may need congressional approval or face court challenges to persist.