Attorney General Pam Bondi moved Thursday to dismantle Washington, D.C.'s sanctuary city policies and assume control over the Metropolitan Police Department's leadership, escalating the Trump administration's federal crime crackdown in the capital.
In a two-page directive titled "Restoring Safety and Security to the District of Columbia," Bondi rescinded three MPD orders related to immigration enforcement, including an executive order issued earlier that day by Police Chief Pamela Smith. That order had permitted some cooperation with federal immigration authorities but barred officers from making "any inquiry through any database solely for the purpose of inquiring about" immigration status, or from arresting individuals based solely on federal immigration warrants without another underlying offense.
Bondi's order replaced Smith's authority with Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole, who was appointed "emergency police commissioner" with "all the powers and duties vested" in the police chief's role. Cole now has the authority to issue general and executive orders affecting the entire department, and MPD leadership must seek his approval before issuing directives.
"To the extent that provisions in this order conflict with any existing MPD directives, those directives are hereby rescinded," Bondi stated. She further directed MPD to "FULLY ENFORCE" sections of the D.C. Code prohibiting the obstruction of streets, entrances to public or private buildings, and unauthorized demonstrations.
The action follows President Donald Trump's Monday executive order declaring a "crime emergency" in D.C. and authorizing a federal takeover of the police department. Federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops have been deployed across the city. On Wednesday night alone, agencies arrested 45 people, including 29 illegal immigrants, as part of the operation.
Bondi's spokesperson, Chad Gilmartin, said on X that Smith's Aug. 14 order "enforced sanctuary policies" and "prevented arrests solely for federal immigration warrants." He also confirmed Bondi had rescinded an October 2023 general order that blocked such arrests.
The directive sparked immediate pushback from D.C. leaders. Attorney General Brian Schwalb told Smith that Bondi's order was "unlawful," and Mayor Muriel Bowser shared Schwalb's letter on X, stating the Home Rule Act allows the president to request police services during an emergency but "does not empower" federal officials to unilaterally change D.C. laws. "We have followed the law," Bowser wrote.
Council member Christina Henderson also criticized the move, writing on X: "Respectfully, the Attorney General does not have the authority to revoke laws." Immigration advocates warned that removing sanctuary protections could make immigrant communities less willing to report crimes, undermining public safety.
FBI data released this year showed D.C.'s violent crime rate in 2024 was 925.9 incidents per 100,000 residents, more than double the national average of 359.1. The Justice Department has said the total number of violent crimes in the city fell last year to a 30-year low, though some fear Bondi's changes could reverse that trend.
