President Trump enacted an executive order on Thursday aimed at enhancing cleanliness and safety in Washington, deporting immigrants from the capital, and addressing crime and homelessness.
The order establishes a task force to “ensure effective federal involvement” in immigration enforcement, reallocating resources for the arrest and deportation of immigrants in Washington, and overseeing the compliance of sanctuary cities with federal immigration laws.
The task force will also finalize the certification for Washington’s Institute of Forensic Crime, assist in recruiting police officers, “expedite the processing of concealed carry license applications and lessen costs, and help reform policies around “pre-detention of criminal suspects.”
Moreover, the order instructs Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgham to clear and clean all homeless encampments located on federal land.
The task force is comprised of internal representatives, the Department of Transport and Homeland Security, the FBI, Marshall Services, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
It will also work with local officials in DC, including the US Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia and includes representatives from the Maryland Attorney’s Office and the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Virginia.
The task force has the ability to request aid and collaborate with the Metropolitan Police Department, Washington Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the U.S. Parks Police, and the Amtrak Police Department, the order specified.
The order directs the task force to help prevent fare evasion on DC Metro, enhancing the presence of “more robust” law enforcement in areas such as national malls and museums, “developing and instituting programs for beautification and safety, restoring public monuments and memorials, and erasing graffiti.
“The federal capital, Washington, DC, is the only city that belongs to all Americans, and is the place that every American can claim as their own. As the capital of a great nation in history, we ought to offer beautiful, clean, and secure public spaces,” the order noted.
The directive emphasizes that Washington should feel secure, including the public transport system, while also being “clean, well-kept, and comfortable.” It further proclaims that DC aims “to make it secure, beautiful, and prosperous by combating crime, penalizing offenders, upholding order, safeguarding cherished American monuments, and promoting the glorification and preservation of our history and heritage.”
Earlier this month, Trump suggested that the federal government might take control of DC if local officials “fail to perform their responsibilities,” expressing his desire to “promote the nation” in the capital.
