Donald Trump’s Federal Takeover of DC Police Sparks Legal Fight As Tensions Mount in US Capital

The District of Columbia is suing President Donald Trump’s administration over what it called an illegal federal takeover of its police department, The Associated Press reported on Friday. The lawsuit, filed by DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb, challenges Trump’s appointment of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) chief Terry Cole as the emergency head of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), with full authority over local policing, the report said.

“The (Trump) administration’s unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home,” Schwalb reportedly said, adding that this is the “gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it.”

Notably, the lawsuit was filed just hours after Attorney General Pam Bondi announced that Cole would take over the MPD operations, requiring all directives to be approved by him. According to the report, Bondi also rescinded the city’s so-called sanctuary policies, which limited local cooperation with federal immigration agencies.

Local Leaders Push Back

Meanwhile, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser pushed back, posting on social media that “there is no statute that conveys the District’s personnel authority to a federal official.”

Chief Pamela Smith, the report said, had instructed officers to share certain information with immigration authorities, but Bondi eventually revoked it as she deemed the directive “too lenient”. She also rolled back some department policies preventing arrests based solely on immigration warrants.

Schwalb, meanwhwile, told Smith in a memo Thursday night, “Members of the MPD must continue to follow your orders and not the orders of any official not appointed by the Mayor.”

Federal Presence Ramps Up in DC

Meanwhile, the streets of Washington are witnessing a visible surge in the federal enforcement. US media reports suggest 800 National Guard troops have been deployed under Trump’s emergency declaration, and posted outside key landmarks, train stations and popular nightlife areas.

DEA agents and the DHS police were spotted at Nationals Park and The Wharf, AP reported, adding that volunteers were seen helping move homeless residents out of encampments, often with no clear relocation plan.

National Guard Major Micah Maxwell said troops are assisting with traffic control, crowd management and public safety patrols, equipped with de-escalation training.

Under current law, Trump’s authority to command federal law enforcement in DC will last 30 days without congressional review.