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2w ago

Trump Orders National Guard to Bulldoze Homeless Encampments in Washington

Displaced residents plan to seek shelter or relocate to neighboring states

A handmade sign is laid near a makeshift shelter on a sidewalk in Washington, DC, on Monday.
DC city workers dismantle tents and remove personal belongings during a sweep of a homeless encampment in the Foggy Bottom neighborhood of Washington, DC, on Thursday.
David Beatty and other residents of a homeless encampment near the Kennedy Center in Washington clear their tents with the help of advocates.
A woman with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, right, helps a woman who has been living at a tent encampment clear out her items, on Thursday.

Overview

  • President Trump invoked emergency powers under the D.C. Home Rule Act to place the Metropolitan Police Department under federal control and deploy the National Guard for the encampment clearances.
  • On August 14 crews bulldozed tents and removed possessions from multiple sites, including encampments near the Lincoln Memorial and Kennedy Center, hauling debris to landfills.
  • The D.C. Department of Human Services added about 70 emergency shelter beds and expanded storage space as teams visited camps to offer placements before the sweeps.
  • Federal and local officers have made more than 150 arrests since August 7 on charges from homicide to weapons violations and have seized 27 firearms.
  • Advocates warn the sweeps further traumatize unhoused people and reports indicate some are relocating to Virginia and Maryland to escape the crackdown.