WASHINGTON — The White House reported that 45 people were arrested in the nation’s capital Wednesday night, including 29 individuals living in the U.S. illegally. Officials said more than 1,650 personnel are now deployed as part of an intensive law enforcement surge ordered by President Donald Trump.
This follows Trump’s unprecedented move to assume control of the Washington, D.C., police department and activate the National Guard for at least 30 days. According to the Pentagon, Guard troops may assist with detentions but lack independent arrest authority.
The operation also includes dismantling homeless encampments and relocating residents outside the city, though specifics remain unclear.
City Mayor Muriel Bowser, while describing the federal takeover as “unsettling and unprecedented,” has chosen cooperation over confrontation, working with federal agencies to remove encampments and coordinate with immigration authorities.
Despite Trump’s claim that the takeover will curb crime, city officials point out that violent crime rates have been declining. The District’s unique federal status grants the president the authority to assume control of local policing, but congressional approval would be required to extend the action beyond 30 days.
Federal agents—normally focused on drug, weapons, and cybercrime cases—have joined National Guard troops and U.S. Park Police in patrolling the capital. DEA agents are monitoring the National Mall, while ATF officers assist in street-level enforcement.
Broader Federal Moves
The arrests in Washington come amid a wave of unrelated legal and political developments:
- Education Department Rebuke: A federal judge struck down administration directives ending diversity programs at schools, ruling the department acted illegally when threatening to cut federal funding.
- Medicaid Data Dispute: Another judge blocked the Department of Health and Human Services from sharing personal data of 79 million Medicaid enrollees with immigration enforcement in 20 states.
- Environmental Grants Restored: The courts ordered the reinstatement of $34 million in federal grants for climate and community farming projects previously canceled under Trump directives.
- Foreign Policy Tensions: Ahead of a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Trump said there is a “25% chance” talks will fail but expressed hope for nuclear arms control progress.
- White House Changes: Portraits of former presidents, including Barack Obama and both George Bushes, have been moved from the White House foyer to a staircase leading to Trump’s private quarters.
- Vaccine Oversight: HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr. announced the revival of a federal childhood vaccine safety panel, disbanded since 1998, with a report to Congress due within two years.
The law enforcement surge in Washington remains the centerpiece of the administration’s domestic agenda this week—hailed by Trump as necessary for public safety, but criticized by opponents as a dangerous precedent in federal authority.
