WASHINGTON — President Trump threatened early Monday to “federalize” Washington, DC, over a spat with Mayor Muriel Bowser over her assertion that local police will not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Last month, the president placed the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under executive branch control and deployed more than 2,000 National Guard troops to the nation’s capital. His federalization of MPD ended Sept. 10.
“Under pressure from the Radical Left Democrats, Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has presided over this violent criminal takeover of our Capital for years, has informed the Federal Government that the Metropolitan Police Department will no longer cooperate with ICE in removing and relocating dangerous illegal aliens,” Trump claimed on Truth Social.
Members of the Ohio National Guard patrol the National Mall, Sunday, Sept. 14, 2025, in Washington. AP
Trump is expected to declare a national emergency in Washington, DC. REUTERS“If I allowed this to happen, CRIME would come roaring back. To the people and businesses of Washington, D.C., DON’T WORRY, I AM WITH YOU, AND WON’T ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. I’ll call a National Emergency, and Federalize, if necessary!!!”
Bowser’s office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Under the 1973 Home Rule Act, which grants the nation’s capital limited autonomy, the president can take over the local police force for 30 days without approval from Congress.
Trump tapped into those powers on Aug. 11 in response to the bludgeoning of former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) worker Edward Coristine, also known as “Big Balls.”
Following the 30-day period, Bowser announced that the District would return to the status quo, including by not working with ICE except under a limited set of circumstances, including an order from a judge.
The National Guard outside the National Mall. REUTERS“I don’t,” the elected Democrat told reporters last week when asked if she feared that would provoke Trump. “We have a long history of working with federal law enforcement, and we’re going to continue to partner in ways that make sense for DC safety.”
During Trump’s second term, Bowser has sought to refrain from provoking the president, after being publicly critical of him during his first administration.
President Donald Trump gives brief remarks to the media as he arrives at the White House in Washington, DC, on Sept. 14, 2025. REUTERSBut Bowser, a staunch advocate of DC statehood, did criticize Trump’s initial order to federalize MPD.
However, Bowser also took executive action Sept. 2 to “ensure coordination with federal law enforcement to the maximum extent allowable by law within the District.”
Over the first three weeks of the federal surge, property crime incidents fell 25% and violent crime dropped by 10%, according to data from the MPD.
Members of the Louisiana National Guard patrol at the National Mall. REUTERSTrump also ordered authorities to clear out homeless encampments across DC and pick up trash on the streets and sidewalks of the capital.
“The Federal Government, under my auspices as President of the United States of America, has stepped into the complete criminal mess that was Washington, D.C., our Nation’s Capital,” Trump recapped on Truth Social.
People hold signs warning drivers of a checkpoint operated by the Metropolitan Police Department and federal agencies, including officers from Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), on Georgia Avenue in the northern part of Washington, on Aug. 30, 2025. AP“Because of this, D.C. has gone from one of the most dangerous and murder ridden cities in the U.S.A., and even around the World, to one of the safest – In just a few weeks,” he added. “The ‘place’ is absolutely booming, with restaurants, stores, and businesses packed and, for the first time in decades, virtually NO CRIME.
“It has been a beautiful thing to watch.”
On Friday, Trump announced plans to surge federal law enforcement to Memphis, after previously musing that Chicago, New York and New Orleans would be next.
