A multi-agency D.C. crime crackdown initiated by President Trump has led to 1,914 arrests since August 7, including an illegal immigrant on a terrorist watch list, as part of an effort to restore order.
Details on Recent Arrests
Law enforcement officials made 73 arrests on Thursday evening alone. The operation resulted in a terrorist watch list arrest in D.C. with the detention of an illegal immigrant from El Salvador.
Other arrests included a Florencia 13 gang member, an individual with a warrant for attempted murder, and a person of interest in a case involving a gun found at a school. A missing child was also rescued, the sixth since the operation began.
Scale of the D.C. Crime Crackdown
Since August 7, authorities have seized 198 firearms and arrested 17 members of violent gangs, including MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. Officials have also cleared 50 homeless encampments as part of the initiative.
The joint operation involves the Metropolitan Police Department, the National Guard, and federal agencies such as the FBI, DEA, and ATF. The city recorded 13 days of zero homicides during the month of August.
White House Cites Restored Order
The White House stated the president’s policies have removed dangerous criminals from city streets. “Thanks to President Trump, some of the most dangerous criminals who have committed heinous crimes have been removed from the streets of Washington, D.C.,” said spokeswoman Taylor Rogers.
Rogers added that accountability has been re-established in the capital. “For far too long, these criminals have been able to commit crime after crime without any accountability — but President Trump has restored law and order to our nation’s capital,” she said.
National Guard and Police Federalization
The crackdown was initiated in response to a spate of high-profile killings in the city. This prompted a National Guard Washington D.C. deployment and involvement from multiple federal agencies.
On August 11, President Trump federalizes D.C. police operations by invoking the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. The act allows a president to assume emergency control of the police force for 30 days.
Criticism of Trump National Guard Overreach
The president’s actions have drawn sharp criticism from opponents who argue the federal intervention is an unconstitutional Trump National Guard overreach. Democratic Illinois Governor JB Pritzker called the move “unprecedented and unwarranted.“
“This is exactly the type of overreach that our country’s founders warned against,” Pritzker stated. “It is illegal. It is unconstitutional. It is un-American.”
Despite the criticism, a memo extended the National Guard’s presence in D.C. through November 30. President Trump has also suggested similar deployments in other cities like Chicago and Baltimore.
