Washington, D.C.'s police chief has issued a directive to boost collaboration between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities as part of President Donald Trump's federal crackdown on crime and homelessness in the nation's capital.
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The Executive Order, signed by Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith, was announced on Thursday. It permits MPD officers to exchange information with immigration officials regarding individuals not in custody, potentially affecting people stopped during routine traffic checks or checkpoints.
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It comes just days after President Trump ordered the deployment of the National Guard to Washington D.C., and took control of the local police. Officials have indicated that as many as 800 National Guard troops could be stationed in D.C. to aid law enforcement efforts.
The White House reports that there have already been multiple arrests under this new initiative. A defense official informed Scripps News that the National Guard will remain in place until the "mission is complete" — which is a fairly amorphous objective.
President Trump said he will seek cooperation from Republican lawmakers to extend the Guard's deployment as he deems necessary.
"We're going to need a crime bill that we're going to be putting in. It's going to pertain initially to D.C. It's almost — we're going to use it as a very positive example. And we're going to be asking for extensions on that — long term extensions, because you can't have 30 days," President Trump said. "I don't want to call a national emergency. If I have to, I will. But I think the Republicans in Congress will approve this pretty much unanimously."
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It is not clear if there is enough support in Congress to secure an extension, which may require Democratic support to pass.
Washington. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, meanwhile, has so far struck a somewhat conciliatory tone with President Trump, but has commented that his actions are unprecedented and a breach of governmental norms. Scripps News learned that Bowser has briefly left the city for a "family commitment" but is planning to return on Friday.
"The District has worked proactively with homeless residents ahead of these actions to provide services and offers of shelter," D.C. Deputy Mayor of Health and Human Services Wayne Turnage said in a statement. "Impacted residents who seek shelter will not be turned away. The District is able to expand capacity as needed. DC will support the engagements with wraparound services and trash pickup, but the planned engagements are otherwise the purview of the federal agencies.”
One attorney Scripps News spoke with expressed concern that some homeless people in the Washington, D.C.-area may be arrested for simply not having permanent housing.
“Of course, we're concerned that our clients might have their property destroyed, that they might be arrested even though they haven't done anything wrong, that they might be involuntarily committed to an institution, even though that's not necessary, even though they don't sort of meet the legal qualifications," said Amber Harding, executive director with the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless.
