Defend Washington DC's Autonomy: Stop the Federal Takeover of Local Policing

On June 3rd, the federal government, led by US Attorney General Pam Bondi, appointed the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) as Washington DC’s “emergency police commissioner.” This unprecedented move, made under the direction of President Donald Trump, has resulted in the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops and federal agents to the city. These forces have cleared homeless encampments, run checkpoints, and taken command of local policing, all under the questionable use of the Home Rule Act.

Washington DC’s Attorney General, Brian Schwalb, has rightly called this a violation of the city’s autonomy and an abuse of temporary federal authority. The people of DC deserve self-governance and the right to determine their own public safety policies, free from federal overreach. This federal takeover not only disregards local leadership but also threatens the civil rights and safety of DC’s residents, particularly marginalized communities.

We call on all concerned individuals to demand an immediate end to this federal intervention and a restoration of DC’s democratic control over its police force.