President Trump declared a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., assumed command of the Metropolitan Police Department, and deployed the D.C. National Guard after a former DOGE staffer was injured in an attempted carjacking. The president cited "out of control" crime even though city data shows violent crime at a 30-year low. The 1973 Home Rule Act grants presidential command of the D.C. National Guard and permits use of local police for federal purposes during emergencies for up to 30 days without congressional authorization. Legal precedent on these powers is limited, and past deployments addressed specific crises rather than broad crime enforcement.
Trump took control of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and deployed D.C.'s National Guard last week after a former DOGE staffer was injured in an attempted carjacking. Trump has cited "out of control" crime, despite the fact that city data shows violent crime is at a 30-year low. The 1973 Home Rule Act gives the president command of the D.C. National Guard.
It also allows him to use local police for federal purposes during emergencies but only for up to 30 days without authorization from Congress, which is on recess until early September. "We're going to do this very quickly, but we're going to want extensions," Trump told reporters last Wednesday, referring to MPD control. That has left many in D.C. wondering: How long can Trump's law enforcement takeover last?
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