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7h ago

D.C. Sues to Halt Federal Takeover of Police Department

City leaders contend the Justice Department order breaches the Home Rule Act ahead of a federal court hearing

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District of Columbia National Guard soldiers patrol on the National Mall, Thursday, August 14, 2025, in Washington. The U.S. Capitol is seen in the distance. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
Soldiers from the District of Columbia National Guard patrol along the National Mall Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Washington. The Washington Monument is seen in the distance. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Overview

  • Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed an emergency lawsuit on Friday seeking a restraining order to block AG Pam Bondi’s directive naming DEA chief Terry Cole as D.C.’s emergency police commissioner.
  • The complaint argues Bondi’s order exceeds presidential authority under the 1973 Home Rule Act and would upend the Metropolitan Police Department’s local command structure.
  • Mayor Muriel Bowser and MPD Chief Pamela Smith have instructed officers to ignore federal commands and continue following orders from city-appointed leadership.
  • Roughly 800 National Guard members and federal agents remain deployed in D.C., conducting monument patrols, checkpoints and arrests justified by the administration as necessary for crime reduction and immigration enforcement.
  • A federal court hearing has been scheduled to decide whether to grant D.C.’s request for a temporary restraining order and clarify the scope of federal versus local policing authority.