Federal agents began a heightened deployment in Washington, D.C., on Friday, following President Trump’s directive to address the city’s escalating violent crime. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt announced Thursday night that the surge in law enforcement is part of a federal operation aimed at reclaiming public safety in the nation’s capital.
“Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C. President Trump is committed to making our Nation’s capital safer for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world,” Leavitt said.
The weeklong operation, which began at midnight Friday, is being led by the U.S. Park Police and includes personnel from multiple agencies, including the Department of Homeland Security, U.S. Marshals Service, FBI, ICE, U.S. Capitol Police, and the Metropolitan Police Department. Federal officers are stationed at major intersections and high-crime areas and could remain beyond the initial seven-day window.
The deployment follows Trump’s recent signing of an executive order titled “Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful,” which allocates federal resources to immigration enforcement and violent crime prosecution. Trump also criticized local leaders after the brutal carjacking of Edward Coristine, a former Department of Government Efficiency employee, calling for tougher laws on juvenile offenders. “The Law in D.C. must be changed to prosecute these ‘minors’ as adults, and lock them up for a long time, starting at age 14,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
He further hinted at a possible federal intervention in the city’s governance, revealing that White House attorneys are reviewing the 1973 Home Rule Act. “If D.C. doesn’t get its act together, and quickly, we will have no choice but to take Federal control of the City,” Trump wrote.
