Trump wants to evict homeless from Washington

WASHINGTON, Aug 10 (Reuters) — President Donald Trump announced on Sunday his intention to remove homeless individuals from Washington, D.C., and incarcerate criminals, even though the city’s mayor has stated that crime is not currently rising.

Though specifics of the plan remain unclear, a U.S. official told Reuters the administration is preparing to send hundreds of National Guard troops to the capital. This mirrors Trump’s earlier controversial use of the Guard in Los Angeles during immigration protests, which faced opposition from local authorities.

A final decision has yet to be made, and the scale of the deployment, including the number of troops and their responsibilities, is still under review. Unlike in U.S. states where governors control the National Guard, in Washington, D.C., the president holds that authority directly.

The Guard was most notably deployed in the capital following the January 6, 2021, Capitol riot by Trump supporters.

“The homeless must leave IMMEDIATELY,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “We’ll provide accommodations, but far from the capital. Criminals don’t have to move — they’ll be going to jail.”

The White House did not clarify what legal mechanisms Trump might use to remove homeless individuals from Washington, where his control extends only over federal properties.

Trump is expected to hold a press conference Monday focused on tackling violent crime in the capital. It’s unclear if he will share more details about the proposed eviction plan during that event.

According to the Community Partnership, a group that monitors homelessness in D.C., around 3,782 single individuals are homeless in the city on any given night. Most are in shelters or transitional housing, not living on the streets.

A White House official said additional federal officers have already been sent into the city, following an attack on a young administration staffer that drew Trump’s attention.

On Friday night, federal law enforcement reportedly investigated multiple incidents, including unlicensed firearm possession, suspended driver’s licenses, and illegal dirt bike riding. On Saturday, about 450 federal officers were deployed throughout Washington.

However, city data shows a decrease in crime: D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department reports a 26% drop in violent crime and a 7% reduction in overall crime for the first seven months of 2025 compared to the previous year.

Mayor Muriel Bowser pushed back on Trump’s claims, stating on MSNBC Sunday that the city is not currently experiencing a crime wave. “We did have a serious crime spike in 2023, but this is not 2023,” she said. “We’ve worked over the past two years to bring violent crime down to a 30-year low.”

Bowser also said she had recently met with Trump at the White House, and he is aware of the city’s collaboration with federal law enforcement.

Though Congress holds ultimate authority over D.C.’s budget due to its unique status as a federal district, local residents still elect a mayor and city council. For Trump to assume broader control over the capital, Congress would likely need to pass legislation reversing D.C.’s current local governance system.

Source: Reuters