DC Police Federal Takeover Ends: Bowser Declares Emergency Over as Trump Withdraws Extension Push
DC Police Federal Takeover Ends: Bowser Declares Emergency Over as Trump Withdraws Extension Push
The federal government’s 30-day takeover of the Washington, D.C. Metropolitan Police Department officially concluded on September 10, with President Donald Trump reportedly abandoning his push for an extension. White House officials indicated that Trump is satisfied with an executive order signed last week by D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, which mandates indefinite collaboration with federal law enforcement, thereby achieving the administration’s goals without requiring congressional approval.
Previously, Trump had vowed to pressure lawmakers to approve continued federalization of the D.C. police force. However, following Bowser’s order, officials confirmed that plans to lobby GOP lawmakers for such a bill, which would have needed Democratic support in the Senate, have been dropped. “She committed to indefinitely coordinate with federal law enforcement,” one official stated. “The key word is ‘indefinitely.’ That is what we want.”
Despite this, the GOP-led House Oversight Committee is still considering over a dozen bills that aim to further restrict D.C.’s self-governance, impose harsher penalties, and roll back criminal justice reforms. These proposed measures include stripping residents’ rights to elect their attorney general, targeting homeless encampments, and lowering the age for juveniles to be tried as adults. Mayor Bowser and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb have voiced strong opposition, arguing the legislation could make the district “less safe,” “less democratic,” and undermine local residents’ voice.
Mayor Bowser has consistently maintained that Washington does not require a “federal emergency” and clarified that her executive order was a pathway out of the federal takeover, not an endorsement of its extension. She emphasized that the emergency legally ended on September 10, with any extension requiring congressional approval. Questions remain regarding the continued presence of National Guard troops, whose deployment is not subject to the same strict time constraints as the police takeover.
The D.C. police department is expected to revert to its pre-emergency operations, which includes discontinuing assistance with federal immigration-enforcement operations. Bowser stated, “Immigration enforcement is not what MPD does, and with the end of the emergency, it won’t be what MPD does in the future.”
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