Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser and the city’s attorney general, Brian Schwalb, filed a lawsuit against Donald Trump government on Friday (15). The lawsuit was filed after the capital’s city hall rejected an order from United States Attorney General Pam Bondi to appoint a new emergency boss to the local police department. The measure was classified as illegal by local authorities.
The action in the Federal Court represents the most striking reaction of columbia district authorities against what they consider an attempt to take control of the capital’s police. The federal government based its decision on a law of the 1970s that guarantees autonomy limited to Washington, but allows the president to request local police services in cases of “special emergency conditions”.
On Thursday night (14), prosecutor PAM Bondi announced the appointment of the director of DEA as emergency police commissioner. In response, Schwalb stated in network X that the measure represents an abuse of the temporary and limited authority provided for by law. “This is the most serious threat to the autonomy of DC we have already faced, and we are struggling to prevent it,” he wrote.
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Mayor Bowser also indicated that he does not intend to comply with the order, raising the tension between the municipal administration and the federal government. The case may redefine the limits of the so -called Home Rule, a rule that guarantees the US capital some degree of self -government, but does not prevent presidential interventions under certain circumstances.
Intervention in Washington
Trump’s intervention in Washington began formal on Wednesday (13), with the mobilization of more than 1,450 police officers, including federal and local agents. On the first day, 76 people were arrested, according to police in the capital. The daily average of Washington arrests in 2024 was 56. The main charges were driving drunk, absence of documents and resistance to prison. Seven illegal weapons were seized.
The White House attributed the numbers to the effectiveness of the operation and advocated the expansion of the measure. “We will present a crime bill, which will initially apply to Washington,” said President Trump, adding that he intends to use the model as a reference for cities such as New York, Los Angeles and Chicago, all governed by Democrats.
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Although Congress is in recess until September, Trump said he could extend the intervention by other ways. “If it is a national emergency, we can do this without Congress,” he said.
According to critics, Trump’s speech ignores higher crime data in cities such as St. Louis, New Orleans and Anchorage, prioritizing urban centers governed by political opponents. Crime in Washington specifically fell to the lowest level in 30 years.
(Com Washington Post e Politico)
