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2w ago

Trump Federalizes D.C. Police, Draws Protests and Legal Battles

National Guard troops patrol Washington, D.C. under a 30-day federal takeover with the White House signaling an extension or emergency declaration to maintain control.

National Guard personnel keep watch as travelers arrive at the entrance to Union Station near the Capitol in Washington, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025. (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
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Department of Homeland Security Investigations agents join Washington Metropolitan Police Department officers as they conduct traffic checks at a checkpoint along 14th Street in northwest Washington, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Alex Brandon)
George, 67, walks away with what's left of his belongings, after the city put his mattress and other belongings in a dump truck, Thursday, Aug. 14, 2025, in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)

Overview

  • President Donald Trump invoked Section 740 of the D.C. Home Rule Act on August 11 to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal authority and deployed National Guard troops alongside ICE, DHS and DoD personnel.
  • Federal agencies have set up checkpoints citywide, shared social-media posts claiming over 200 arrests and seizures, and imposed an 8 p.m. juvenile curfew in the Navy Yard neighborhood.
  • Protesters have confronted federal officers at traffic stops and viral videos show a U.S. Park Police agent questioning residents on residential steps and warning of broader “federal search” operations.
  • Civil rights groups, Mayor Muriel Bowser and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have vowed legal challenges and condemned presidential directives they say erode constitutional protections.
  • The administration has indicated it will seek congressional approval to extend the 30-day takeover or declare a national emergency to continue operations and potentially replicate the approach in other cities.