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Trump Assumes Control of D.C. Police and Deploys National Guard to Capital

Section 740 emergency powers have triggered federal patrols, homeless encampment removals, legal action by D.C. officials

Stephanie W., 28, who is homeless, rests on a foam mattress as a United States Park Police vehicle drives past, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, in northwest Washington near the Kennedy Center. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
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Overview

  • On August 12, President Trump assumed control of the Metropolitan Police Department under Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act.
  • The administration deployed roughly 800 National Guard troops alongside about 850 federal agents from agencies such as the FBI, ATF and DEA to patrol Washington, D.C.
  • Federal authorities reported 23 arrests and the seizure of firearms and narcotics during their first night of operations.
  • A 33-year-old man was fatally shot in Logan Circle just hours after the federal takeover took effect.
  • City officials and advocates cite a 26% drop in violent crime and limited shelter capacity to challenge the emergency order’s necessity and the planned homeless relocations.