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Trump Orders Federal Sweep of D.C. Homeless Encampments

Unclear shelter capacity alongside vague relocation plans have advocates preparing legal challenges.

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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Caroline McIntyre, left, who is homeless, carries her belongings past the Kennedy Center, Wednesday, Aug. 13, 2025, in northwest Washington, as President Donald Trump makes an appearance there. She says her tent and belongings were taken from her last month in Washington. (AP Photo/Jacquelyn Martin)
At MLK Library, Across From The National Portrait Gallery

Overview

  • President Trump invoked federal authority to temporarily federalize D.C. policing and deploy around 800 National Guard troops and federal agents for encampment clearings.
  • White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt stated that unhoused individuals will be offered shelter or treatment and may face fines or jail if they refuse removal.
  • D.C. officials added roughly 70 emergency beds and identified a building for up to 200 people but overall shelter space remains far below the district’s homeless population.
  • Relocation logistics for cleared campers remain opaque, prompting advocates to raise constitutional and civil-rights objections.
  • Local data show violent crime at decades-low levels, casting doubt on the administration’s emergency rationale for the crackdown.