Overview

• The president has ordered roughly 800 National Guard troops into Washington and asserted federal control over the city’s law enforcement despite undefined operational details.
• He directed the immediate removal of homeless encampments with promises of housing far from the capital but provided no legal justification for mass displacement.
• Recent DOJ and Metropolitan Police data show violent crime at its lowest level in 30 years, contradicting claims of an out-of-control surge.
• D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and legal experts have vowed to challenge the takeover, citing the Home Rule Act’s restrictions on federal authority.
• Homelessness estimates in the city range from about 3,782 nightly to more than 5,600 annually, raising questions about the scope of relocation efforts.