The plan involves removing camps, moving to dormitories and possible relocation “away from the capital”.
Homeless people in Washington are in prison if they do not make the efforts of President Donald Trump to suppress crime and remove homeless camps in the United States capital. This was stated on Tuesday by the White House, TASR reports on Reuters and DPA reports.
“The homeless will have the opportunity to leave their camps. They will be transferred to hostels for the homeless, where they will be offered services in the area of treatment or mental health. If they refuse it, they face a fine or prison,” White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said. She added that the government is exploring the possibilities of resettlement “far from the capital”.
Trump’s ultimátum
Trump on Sunday called for the homeless to immediately leave Washington, otherwise he said they are in danger of moving. On Monday he declared a state of emergency in the city. He also announced that the police force there will be subject to federal control and decided to deploy 800 members of the National Guard and 500 federal agents with the declared aim of increasing the security of the metropolis. According to The New York Times (NYT), the National Guard Units have already appeared at Washington’s memorial on Tuesday evening.
Criticism of the mayor
Mayor Muriel Bowser described these steps as unprecedented and disturbing, recalling that last year the city recorded the least violent crimes over the past 30 years. According to NYT on Tuesday evening, it hardened criticism and called Trump’s decision “authoritative pressure” and “interference with our autonomy”.
