Former President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order aimed at aggressively tackling homelessness, drawing swift criticism from advocacy groups and alarm from social media users who say it threatens civil liberties.
Signed on Thursday, July 24, the order pushes for the rollback of court decisions and consent decrees that limit the federal government’s ability to forcefully remove homeless individuals from public spaces. It authorizes Attorney General Pam Bondi to pursue legal avenues to undo such precedents, enabling the involuntary institutionalization of individuals with mental illness who are deemed unable to care for themselves or pose a public safety risk.
The order emphasizes that moving homeless people into long-term treatment facilities through civil commitment is a way to “restore public order,” arguing that allowing encampments to persist is harmful to both unhoused individuals and the broader community.
“Surrendering our cities and citizens to disorder and fear is neither compassionate to the homeless nor other citizens,” the order states.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt defended the move, telling USA TODAY that Trump is “delivering on his commitment to Make America Safe Again and end homelessness across America.”
“By removing vagrant criminals from our streets and redirecting resources toward substance abuse programs, the Trump Administration will ensure that Americans feel safe in their own communities,” she said, adding that the plan offers help for those struggling with mental illness or addiction.
But the National Homelessness Law Center (NHLC) condemned the executive order, calling it “dangerous” and warning that it would exacerbate the homelessness crisis.
“This doesn’t lower housing costs or help people make ends meet,” the organization said in a statement. “Forced treatment is unethical, ineffective, and illegal. People need stable housing and access to healthcare — not criminalization and coercion.”
The NHLC further argued the policy would funnel tax dollars away from effective solutions and punish poverty rather than addressing its root causes.
This executive order follows the Supreme Court’s controversial ruling in June that allowed local governments to ban sleeping in public spaces — a decision critics said criminalizes homelessness.
Online reaction has been intense. On Reddit, one user described the move as “the Republican solution to actual societal problems — lock people away so society doesn’t have to see them, rather than helping them recover.” Another called the order “terrifying.”
As public debate grows, legal experts and civil rights advocates expect the executive order to face court challenges in the coming months.
