Overview

• Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy announced the shift on Aug. 27 during the NextGen Acela launch, saying the station had fallen into disrepair and should be a point of pride.
• The Department of Transportation says federal ownership lets it take back operations from Amtrak and the Union Station Redevelopment Corporation to improve safety and attract tenants.
• The move comes as more than 2,000 National Guard troops and agents from the FBI, DEA and ICE patrol Washington, with Union Station among the most heavily staffed sites.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi reported 1,178 arrests and 123 illegal weapons seized since the federal security operation began this month.
• Civil-rights groups question the legal basis and warn of migrant detentions, while local police statistics show violent crime has fallen in recent years.