Donald Trump’s administration has been slowly taking over the District of Columbia, and now Attorney General Brian Schwalb has moved to court to stop the federal takeover of the nation’s capital.
It’s been a whirlwind fortnight in Washington, DC. What started out as Trump complaining about the attack on former DOGE employee Edward Coristine, also known as “big balls,” has now resulted in Pam Bondi disorganizing the entire police department of the city — and even before they did that, the MPD (Metropolitan Police Department) was already implementing Trump’s mass immigration policies. Now, the officers are required to assist ICE by offering transportation and inspecting drivers’ immigration status at traffic stops.
In a press conference, AG Schwalb explained that Trump’s administration is abusing its authority under the Home Rule Act. Schwalb argues that Trump’s new policies regarding DC are putting the safety of everyone in the city — residents and visitors — at risk, and that if Trump’s administration continues down this path, DC would suffer “devastating and irreparable harm.” The AG vowed they won’t stop fighting for the city’s autonomy and dignity. DC is also seeking a restraining order against the Trump administration.
On Thursday, US AG Pam Bondi escalated things further in DC when she unilaterally ordered the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Terry Cole, to take over DC’s police department as an “emergency police commissioner.” Per CNN, the district’s mayor and AG are contemplating not complying with the new order. Mayor Bowser took to X to remind AG Bondi that there’s no statute that conveys the District’s personnel authority to a federal official.
Let us be clear about what the law requires during a Presidential declared emergency: it requires the mayor of Washington, DC to provide the services of the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes at the request of the President.
— Mayor Muriel Bowser (@MayorBowser) August 15, 2025
We have followed the law.
In… pic.twitter.com/XfaNqLalFU
It’s now believed that the end of DC’s sanctuary policies was prompted by the takeover. The MPD Chief responded to the directive, saying, “In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive.” Smith added that she was actually blindsided by Trump’s plan to take over city police, finding out with the rest of the nation through a press conference. The MPD Chief expects the new directive to put both residents and police at risk.
Trump’s reason for taking over DC was initially that the crime rate in the capital was getting out of hand. When researchers looked at the numbers, it turned out to be at a record low. Still, he pressed on. And when they shifted the takeover to target immigrants, they moved from detaining immigrants with criminal records to rounding up immigrants they could find at the local Home Depot parking lot — even charging people who hurled sandwiches at immigration officers with felony assault.
The case will be heard by federal district Judge Ana Reyes. But considering the judge was appointed by Joe Biden, it’s expected that if the ruling doesn’t come in Trump’s favor, his administration will question and probably challenge it. Although not directly related, California Governor Gavin Newsom gave marching orders to people who don’t agree with Trump’s increasingly authoritarian directives to always challenge his overreach in whichever way they can — and it seems people are listening.
