Overview

• In Washington, agencies are directed to place arrestees in federal custody where legally permissible and the D.C. U.S. Attorney’s Office is instructed to pursue federal charges whenever possible.
• Attorney General Pam Bondi must deliver within 30 days a list of jurisdictions that have substantially eliminated cash bail and identify federal funds that could be suspended or terminated.
• The White House signaled it could reconsider funding, services, or approvals for District projects if local practices do not change, extending similar financial pressure to other jurisdictions.
• Local data and research cited by critics, including a D.C. Criminal Justice Coordinating Council finding that under 1% of those released pretrial on violent charges were rearrested for violent or dangerous crimes, dispute the administration’s claim that cashless bail drives violence.
• A related directive establishes a specialized National Guard unit for public order in D.C., as legal experts and municipal leaders prepare challenges over the limits of federal authority to reshape local pretrial policies.