US President Donald Trump said today that he may declare a national emergency and federalize Washington, D.C., after Mayor Muriel Bowser said that police would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Providing information on people who are in or entering the United States illegally is controversial. Trump’s latest threat adds to a move that critics see as an overreach of federal authority.
As a reminder, several thousand protesters took to the streets this month against the deployment of National Guard troops in August to “re-establish law, order and public safety” in Washington.
“In just a few weeks, the city has blossomed… For the first time in decades, there is virtually no crime,” Trump wrote on the Truth Social platform.
He blamed “radical left-wing Democrats” for pressuring Mayor Muriel Bowser to inform the government about her failure to cooperate with ICE.
The National Guard reports to the governors of the 50 states, except when called into federal service. The Washington National Guard reports directly to the president.
