WASHINGTON (AP) — Ms. Jay didn’t wait for authorities to arrive before packing up her tent and carrying her belongings across Pennsylvania Avenue, unsure of what came next.
She had been living what she called her “Girl Scout life,” saving money and looking for work while experiencing homelessness. When she learned that law enforcement was approaching, she embodied the scouting motto: Be prepared.
“Last night was so scary,” she recalled, describing when federal officers, working alongside local police, began dispersing homeless encampments in Washington. “I didn’t want to wait until the last moment and then have to rush out.”
President Donald Trump’s efforts began with official Washington and its marbled buildings during his days at the Department of Government Efficiency. Now, he has expanded his focus to the streets, sending roughly 800 National Guard troops to assist local police in tackling crime, grime, and makeshift homeless encampments.
First came the spring cleaning
Earlier this spring, Trump’s actions disrupted the U.S. Institute of Peace, among other institutions and agencies. On Thursday, authorities used an earth mover to clear an encampment near the institute’s Constitution Avenue headquarters.
The initiative, part of Trump’s Making D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force, aims to rid the capital of criminal activity and visible signs of poverty. However, some residents see a different kind of harm unfolding.
“From the White House, the president sees a lawless wasteland,” said leaders of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington. “We see fellow human beings — neighbors, workers, friends and family — each made in the image of God.”
For 61-year-old Andrew S., the disruption became personal Wednesday when agents he identified as federal asked him to leave his resting spot along the route where Trump would pass en route to the Kennedy Center.
“You have to move because you’re in eyesight of the president,” Andrew, originally from Baltimore, said. “I didn’t really take it seriously until today, but the president really doesn’t want us here.”
Andrew, Ms. Jay, and others interviewed by The Associated Press declined to provide their full names due to the heavy law enforcement presence.
Saying goodbye to his belongings
At the encampment near the peace institute, 67-year-old George walked away Thursday carrying an umbrella and a garbage bag with some of his possessions, while city workers loaded his mattress and other items into a garbage truck. He waved goodbye.
“It’s part of normal life at this point,” said Jesse Wall, 43, as he cleared his belongings. “What are you trying to prove here? That you’re a bully?”
David Beatty, 67, had lived at the encampment for several months. On Thursday, he watched parts of the site being roped off. He and others were allowed to gather what they could before heavy machinery removed remaining items.
What about the Golden Rule?
Beatty referenced a version of the Bible’s Golden Rule — “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you” — adding, “The idea that he’s targeting us and persecuting us feels wrong.”
Much of Thursday’s clearing was handled by local police. D.C. officials anticipated that federal authorities would dismantle all homeless encampments if local law enforcement did not. Deputy Mayor Wayne Turnage said the city has a process to handle such operations “the way it should be done.”
Local police were expected to conduct the work more humanely than federal authorities. Jesse Rabinowitz of the National Homelessness Law Center said, based on briefings, that people would be given the choice to leave or be detained at designated federal and local sites. He noted that tents would be removed in daylight for visibility, while arrests would largely occur at night to avoid public scrutiny.
Once penniless, now an advocate
Wesley Thomas, born and raised in Washington, spent nearly 30 years on the streets, battling drug addiction, before other homeless individuals and charitable organizations helped him recover. He has lived in stable housing for eight years and now works as an advocate with Miriam’s Kitchen, helping dozens find housing.
“The first day I was out there, I was penniless, homeless, frightened, only the clothing on my back, didn’t know where I was going to sleep or eat,” he said. “Fortunately, there were some homeless people who gave me blankets and showed me a safe place, St. John’s Church, to rest my head for the night.”
St. John’s, across from Lafayette Park and the White House, is known as the Church of the Presidents because every president since James Madison has visited.
Thomas emphasized that most people being moved are not “uneducated, dumb, or stupid,” even if they are struggling. “You’ve got doctors, lawyers, businessmen, Navy SEALs, veterans, mailmen. Poor people come in all races, ethnicities, and colors.”
