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yesterday

Trump Launches Weeklong Federal Law Enforcement Surge in Washington, D.C.

Full federal control of D.C. would require Congress to repeal the 1973 Home Rule Act.

Photo illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios. Photos via Getty Images
Image
FILE - A member of the National Guard patrols the area outside of the U.S. Capitol in Washington, Feb. 10, 2021. (AP Photo/Jose Luis Magana, File)

Overview

  • Multiple federal agencies began patrolling Washington streets at midnight Friday under a seven-day operation led by U.S. Park Police.
  • The surge follows an attempted carjacking of Edward Coristine, a former Department of Government Efficiency staffer, and implements Trump’s March executive order establishing the Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful task force.
  • Metropolitan Police Department data show a 26% drop in violent crime, a 37% reduction in carjackings and a 12% decrease in homicides through August 6.
  • A pre-dawn tour found no overt federal presence beyond the Metropolitan Police Department, though U.S. Park Police reported overnight arrests for stolen firearms and illegal drugs.
  • Any move to federalize D.C. governance would hinge on congressional repeal of the 1973 Home Rule Act.