President Donald Trump wants ‘Homeless-Free’ Washington, D.C. Image Credit: The Gurdian
(The Post News)- United States of America President Donald Trump has announced plans to forcibly remove homeless individuals from Washington, D.C., warning that those who refuse to leave could face criminal charges.
On Sunday, Trump used social media to declare that his administration would relocate the homeless population far from the capital.
He argued that the move was necessary to reduce crime despite official statistics showing a significant drop in violent offences.
According to the Community Partnership for the Prevention of Homelessness, Washington, D.C., home to about 700,000 residents, has roughly 800 unsheltered people. An additional 3,275 individuals rely on emergency shelters, while 1,065 are in transitional housing.
Trump claimed that removing the homeless was essential to preventing crime.
However, Metropolitan Police data shows that violent crime in the city has fallen 35% since 2023, its lowest level in three decades.
Mayor Muriel Bowser also reported a 26% crime drop this year and disputed Trump’s claims of a crime surge. Bowser emphasized ongoing cooperation between local law enforcement and federal agencies.
Bowser noted that the D.C. National Guard, which Trump has threatened to deploy, is under presidential control, not the city’s authority.
Earlier this week, Trump ordered a surge of federal officers in response to an incident involving a federal employee visiting Elon Musk in the city.
He cited the attack as proof of rising crime. However, police had already apprehended two 15-year-olds at the scene during the incident.
When asked by Reuters how the administration planned to remove the homeless, the White House declined to comment.
Eleanor Holmes Norton, D.C.’s nonvoting delegate in Congress condemned Trump’s remarks as “wrong and hurtful” to the city’s more than 700,000 residents, the majority of whom are Black and Brown.
She stressed that D.C. should govern itself without interference from federal officials who are not accountable to its citizens.
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