Latest news with #Schwalb
CNBC
12 hours ago
- Politics
- CNBC
Bondi backs off initial order to take over D.C. police, issues new directive that keeps chief in place
WASHINGTON — Washington, D.C.'s police chief is the force's top official once again, after the Trump administration rescinded an order that stripped her of power less than a day after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued it. As part of an agreement struck Friday between attorneys from the Department of Justice and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb's office, Drug Enforcement Administration Chief Terry Cole will now be considered Bondi's "designee," instead of the emergency police chief, a position Bondi sought in her original order that claimed federal control of the department. The agreement allows Metropolitan Police Department Chief Pamela Smith to maintain control of the day-to-day operations of her department, while taking orders from Mayor Muriel Bowser. In a new order Bondi issued Friday evening, the Department of Justice directed Bowser to order the police department to assist in immigration enforcement operations and to comply with database inquiries and requests for information from any federal law enforcement entity. This effectively strips Washington, D.C., of its "sanctuary city" status. But in a news conference after Friday's hearing in federal court, Schwalb, who had filed a lawsuit challenging the administration's police takeover, took a victory lap. "The key for today is to know that our effort to avoid a hostile takeover of our police force is not going to happen," he told reporters. "Chief Smith remains in control of the police department under the supervision of our mayor." Schwalb's office argued in its lawsuit, which also challenges President Donald Trump's order from Monday, that the initial orders exceed the limits on requesting services from D.C., which it says can be done on a temporary basis only under emergency circumstances. The office sought a temporary restraining order to enjoin the Trump administration from taking over the police department, saying that D.C. would "suffer devastating and irreparable harms" if the Trump administration's efforts succeeded. "The Administration's unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home," Schwalb said in a statement. "This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it." The suit said that implementing Bondi's order would "upend the entire command structure of MPD and sow chaos among the more than 3,100 officers serving the District, endangering the safety of the public and law enforcement officers alike." Smith said in a sworn declaration in support of Schwalb's suit that she had "never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive." "If effectuated, the Bondi Order would upend the command structure of MPD, endangering the safety of the public and law enforcement officers alike," Smith said. Schwalb's office said Trump only had authority to request services for "federal purposes," and that Congress didn't grant the authority to replace D.C.'s police chief. Bowser, who had been complying with Trump's earlier directive, said in a post on social media that she agreed the initial Bondi order had gone too far. "Let us be clear about what the law requires during a Presidential declared emergency: it requires the mayor of Washington, DC to provide the services of the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes at the request of the President. We have followed the law," Bowser wrote on X. "In reference to the U.S. Attorney General's order, there is no statute that conveys the District's personnel authority to a federal official," she added. In his order on Monday, Trump cited several high-profile violent acts to justify his decision to deploy National Guard troops into the capital and take control of the D.C. police. Bowser pushed back on Trump's claims of out-of-control crime in Washington, saying statistics show it's substantially dropped. According to federal data released in January, violent crime in the district for 2024 was at its lowest level in more than three decades, and down 35% from the previous year. The mayor characterized Trump's moves as "unprecedented" and an "authoritarian push" earlier this week, but conceded he had the authority to issue the order. White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Trump's order the "first step in stopping the violent crime that has been plaguing the streets of Washington, DC." Under the Home Rule Act, Trump has the power to federalize the D.C. police for only 30 days unless Congress approves an extension. He said on Wednesday that he plans to ask Congress for a long-term extension — but that would need support from some Democrats to pass.
The Advertiser
a day ago
- Politics
- The Advertiser
DC sues to block Trump's federal police takeover
The US capital has sued to block President Donald Trump's takeover of its police department in court, hours after his administration escalated its intervention into the city's law enforcement by naming a federal official as the new emergency head of the department. Washington's police chief said Trump's move would threaten law and order by upending the command structure. "In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive," Chief Pamela Smith said in a court filing. The legal battle playing out on Friday showed the escalating tensions in a mostly Democratic city that now has its police department under the control of the Republican presidential administration. Trump's takeover of the police department is historic, yet it had played out with a slow ramp-up in federal law enforcement officials and National Guard troops to start the week. As the weekend approached, though, signs across the city — from the streets to the legal system — suggested a deepening crisis over who controls the city's immigration and policing policies, the district's right to govern itself and daily life for the millions of people who live and work in the metro area. Washington's top legal official was pushing in court to reverse the order putting the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration in charge of police in the nation's capital. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues the police takeover is illegal and threatens to "wreak operational havoc". The lawsuit comes after US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday that Drug Enforcement Administration boss Terry Cole will assume the police chief's duties and approval authority for any orders issued to officers. It was unclear where the move left the city's current police chief, Smith, who works for the mayor. Schwalb argues the new order goes beyond Trump's authority and implementing it would "sow chaos" in the Metropolitan Police Department. "The administration's unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home," Schwalb said. The Justice Department declined to comment on the district's lawsuit, and a White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. At a Friday afternoon hearing for Schwalb's request for a temporary restraining order, US District Judge Ana Reyes seemed sceptical of Bondi's authority to sideline Smith. "I don't see any basis in the statute for her to order the Metropolitan Police Department to act," said Reyes, nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden. The police takeover is the latest move by Trump to test the limits of his legal authority to carry out his agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his tough-on-crime message and his plans to speed up the mass deportation of people in the United States illegally. It also marks one of the most sweeping assertions of federal authority over a local government in modern times. While Washington has grappled with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the city's homicide rate ranks below those of several other major US cities, and the capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the Trump administration has portrayed. The president has more power over the nation's capital than other cities, but DC has elected its own mayor and city council since the Home Rule Act was signed in 1973. The US capital has sued to block President Donald Trump's takeover of its police department in court, hours after his administration escalated its intervention into the city's law enforcement by naming a federal official as the new emergency head of the department. Washington's police chief said Trump's move would threaten law and order by upending the command structure. "In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive," Chief Pamela Smith said in a court filing. The legal battle playing out on Friday showed the escalating tensions in a mostly Democratic city that now has its police department under the control of the Republican presidential administration. Trump's takeover of the police department is historic, yet it had played out with a slow ramp-up in federal law enforcement officials and National Guard troops to start the week. As the weekend approached, though, signs across the city — from the streets to the legal system — suggested a deepening crisis over who controls the city's immigration and policing policies, the district's right to govern itself and daily life for the millions of people who live and work in the metro area. Washington's top legal official was pushing in court to reverse the order putting the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration in charge of police in the nation's capital. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues the police takeover is illegal and threatens to "wreak operational havoc". The lawsuit comes after US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday that Drug Enforcement Administration boss Terry Cole will assume the police chief's duties and approval authority for any orders issued to officers. It was unclear where the move left the city's current police chief, Smith, who works for the mayor. Schwalb argues the new order goes beyond Trump's authority and implementing it would "sow chaos" in the Metropolitan Police Department. "The administration's unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home," Schwalb said. The Justice Department declined to comment on the district's lawsuit, and a White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. At a Friday afternoon hearing for Schwalb's request for a temporary restraining order, US District Judge Ana Reyes seemed sceptical of Bondi's authority to sideline Smith. "I don't see any basis in the statute for her to order the Metropolitan Police Department to act," said Reyes, nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden. The police takeover is the latest move by Trump to test the limits of his legal authority to carry out his agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his tough-on-crime message and his plans to speed up the mass deportation of people in the United States illegally. It also marks one of the most sweeping assertions of federal authority over a local government in modern times. While Washington has grappled with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the city's homicide rate ranks below those of several other major US cities, and the capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the Trump administration has portrayed. The president has more power over the nation's capital than other cities, but DC has elected its own mayor and city council since the Home Rule Act was signed in 1973. The US capital has sued to block President Donald Trump's takeover of its police department in court, hours after his administration escalated its intervention into the city's law enforcement by naming a federal official as the new emergency head of the department. Washington's police chief said Trump's move would threaten law and order by upending the command structure. "In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive," Chief Pamela Smith said in a court filing. The legal battle playing out on Friday showed the escalating tensions in a mostly Democratic city that now has its police department under the control of the Republican presidential administration. Trump's takeover of the police department is historic, yet it had played out with a slow ramp-up in federal law enforcement officials and National Guard troops to start the week. As the weekend approached, though, signs across the city — from the streets to the legal system — suggested a deepening crisis over who controls the city's immigration and policing policies, the district's right to govern itself and daily life for the millions of people who live and work in the metro area. Washington's top legal official was pushing in court to reverse the order putting the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration in charge of police in the nation's capital. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues the police takeover is illegal and threatens to "wreak operational havoc". The lawsuit comes after US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday that Drug Enforcement Administration boss Terry Cole will assume the police chief's duties and approval authority for any orders issued to officers. It was unclear where the move left the city's current police chief, Smith, who works for the mayor. Schwalb argues the new order goes beyond Trump's authority and implementing it would "sow chaos" in the Metropolitan Police Department. "The administration's unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home," Schwalb said. The Justice Department declined to comment on the district's lawsuit, and a White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. At a Friday afternoon hearing for Schwalb's request for a temporary restraining order, US District Judge Ana Reyes seemed sceptical of Bondi's authority to sideline Smith. "I don't see any basis in the statute for her to order the Metropolitan Police Department to act," said Reyes, nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden. The police takeover is the latest move by Trump to test the limits of his legal authority to carry out his agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his tough-on-crime message and his plans to speed up the mass deportation of people in the United States illegally. It also marks one of the most sweeping assertions of federal authority over a local government in modern times. While Washington has grappled with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the city's homicide rate ranks below those of several other major US cities, and the capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the Trump administration has portrayed. The president has more power over the nation's capital than other cities, but DC has elected its own mayor and city council since the Home Rule Act was signed in 1973. The US capital has sued to block President Donald Trump's takeover of its police department in court, hours after his administration escalated its intervention into the city's law enforcement by naming a federal official as the new emergency head of the department. Washington's police chief said Trump's move would threaten law and order by upending the command structure. "In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive," Chief Pamela Smith said in a court filing. The legal battle playing out on Friday showed the escalating tensions in a mostly Democratic city that now has its police department under the control of the Republican presidential administration. Trump's takeover of the police department is historic, yet it had played out with a slow ramp-up in federal law enforcement officials and National Guard troops to start the week. As the weekend approached, though, signs across the city — from the streets to the legal system — suggested a deepening crisis over who controls the city's immigration and policing policies, the district's right to govern itself and daily life for the millions of people who live and work in the metro area. Washington's top legal official was pushing in court to reverse the order putting the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration in charge of police in the nation's capital. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues the police takeover is illegal and threatens to "wreak operational havoc". The lawsuit comes after US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday that Drug Enforcement Administration boss Terry Cole will assume the police chief's duties and approval authority for any orders issued to officers. It was unclear where the move left the city's current police chief, Smith, who works for the mayor. Schwalb argues the new order goes beyond Trump's authority and implementing it would "sow chaos" in the Metropolitan Police Department. "The administration's unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home," Schwalb said. The Justice Department declined to comment on the district's lawsuit, and a White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. At a Friday afternoon hearing for Schwalb's request for a temporary restraining order, US District Judge Ana Reyes seemed sceptical of Bondi's authority to sideline Smith. "I don't see any basis in the statute for her to order the Metropolitan Police Department to act," said Reyes, nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden. The police takeover is the latest move by Trump to test the limits of his legal authority to carry out his agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his tough-on-crime message and his plans to speed up the mass deportation of people in the United States illegally. It also marks one of the most sweeping assertions of federal authority over a local government in modern times. While Washington has grappled with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the city's homicide rate ranks below those of several other major US cities, and the capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the Trump administration has portrayed. The president has more power over the nation's capital than other cities, but DC has elected its own mayor and city council since the Home Rule Act was signed in 1973.
West Australian
a day ago
- Politics
- West Australian
DC sues to block Trump's federal police takeover
The US capital has sued to block President Donald Trump's takeover of its police department in court, hours after his administration escalated its intervention into the city's law enforcement by naming a federal official as the new emergency head of the department. Washington's police chief said Trump's move would threaten law and order by upending the command structure. "In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive," Chief Pamela Smith said in a court filing. The legal battle playing out on Friday showed the escalating tensions in a mostly Democratic city that now has its police department under the control of the Republican presidential administration. Trump's takeover of the police department is historic, yet it had played out with a slow ramp-up in federal law enforcement officials and National Guard troops to start the week. As the weekend approached, though, signs across the city — from the streets to the legal system — suggested a deepening crisis over who controls the city's immigration and policing policies, the district's right to govern itself and daily life for the millions of people who live and work in the metro area. Washington's top legal official was pushing in court to reverse the order putting the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration in charge of police in the nation's capital. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues the police takeover is illegal and threatens to "wreak operational havoc". The lawsuit comes after US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday that Drug Enforcement Administration boss Terry Cole will assume the police chief's duties and approval authority for any orders issued to officers. It was unclear where the move left the city's current police chief, Smith, who works for the mayor. Schwalb argues the new order goes beyond Trump's authority and implementing it would "sow chaos" in the Metropolitan Police Department. "The administration's unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home," Schwalb said. The Justice Department declined to comment on the district's lawsuit, and a White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. At a Friday afternoon hearing for Schwalb's request for a temporary restraining order, US District Judge Ana Reyes seemed sceptical of Bondi's authority to sideline Smith. "I don't see any basis in the statute for her to order the Metropolitan Police Department to act," said Reyes, nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden. The police takeover is the latest move by Trump to test the limits of his legal authority to carry out his agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his tough-on-crime message and his plans to speed up the mass deportation of people in the United States illegally. It also marks one of the most sweeping assertions of federal authority over a local government in modern times. While Washington has grappled with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the city's homicide rate ranks below those of several other major US cities, and the capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the Trump administration has portrayed. The president has more power over the nation's capital than other cities, but DC has elected its own mayor and city council since the Home Rule Act was signed in 1973.
Perth Now
a day ago
- Politics
- Perth Now
DC sues to block Trump's federal police takeover
The US capital has sued to block President Donald Trump's takeover of its police department in court, hours after his administration escalated its intervention into the city's law enforcement by naming a federal official as the new emergency head of the department. Washington's police chief said Trump's move would threaten law and order by upending the command structure. "In my nearly three decades in law enforcement, I have never seen a single government action that would cause a greater threat to law and order than this dangerous directive," Chief Pamela Smith said in a court filing. The legal battle playing out on Friday showed the escalating tensions in a mostly Democratic city that now has its police department under the control of the Republican presidential administration. Trump's takeover of the police department is historic, yet it had played out with a slow ramp-up in federal law enforcement officials and National Guard troops to start the week. As the weekend approached, though, signs across the city — from the streets to the legal system — suggested a deepening crisis over who controls the city's immigration and policing policies, the district's right to govern itself and daily life for the millions of people who live and work in the metro area. Washington's top legal official was pushing in court to reverse the order putting the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration in charge of police in the nation's capital. District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb argues the police takeover is illegal and threatens to "wreak operational havoc". The lawsuit comes after US Attorney General Pam Bondi said on Thursday that Drug Enforcement Administration boss Terry Cole will assume the police chief's duties and approval authority for any orders issued to officers. It was unclear where the move left the city's current police chief, Smith, who works for the mayor. Schwalb argues the new order goes beyond Trump's authority and implementing it would "sow chaos" in the Metropolitan Police Department. "The administration's unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home," Schwalb said. The Justice Department declined to comment on the district's lawsuit, and a White House spokesperson did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment. At a Friday afternoon hearing for Schwalb's request for a temporary restraining order, US District Judge Ana Reyes seemed sceptical of Bondi's authority to sideline Smith. "I don't see any basis in the statute for her to order the Metropolitan Police Department to act," said Reyes, nominated to the bench by Democratic President Joe Biden. The police takeover is the latest move by Trump to test the limits of his legal authority to carry out his agenda, relying on obscure statutes and a supposed state of emergency to bolster his tough-on-crime message and his plans to speed up the mass deportation of people in the United States illegally. It also marks one of the most sweeping assertions of federal authority over a local government in modern times. While Washington has grappled with spikes in violence and visible homelessness, the city's homicide rate ranks below those of several other major US cities, and the capital is not in the throes of the public safety collapse the Trump administration has portrayed. The president has more power over the nation's capital than other cities, but DC has elected its own mayor and city council since the Home Rule Act was signed in 1973.
LeMonde
a day ago
- Politics
- LeMonde
Washington attorney general sues Trump administration over police takeover
The attorney general for the US capital, Washington DC, has sued Donald Trump's administration on Friday, August 15, over what he called a "hostile takeover" of the city's police force, which the Republican president said was necessary to fight violent crime. Earlier this week, Trump placed the capital's Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal government control while also sending 800 National Guard troops onto the city's streets. Attorney General Pam Bondi then issued an order to install a hand-picked official, Drug Enforcement Administration chief Terry Cole, as "emergency" police commissioner on Thursday. Federal law governing the capital "does not authorize this brazen usurpation of the District's authority over its own government," Attorney General Brian Schwalb wrote in a filing lodged in federal court. "Defendants have unlawfully seized operational control of MPD, including by assuming positions in the chain of command and issuing policy directives to MPD." "By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the District's right to self-governance and putting the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk," Schwalb said in a statement on social media. "This is an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home." Schwalb has asked for a temporary restraining order on Bondi's order, and for the court to declare that Trump's executive order exceeds his authority over the District of Columbia. A hearing has been set for 2:00 pm local time (1800 GMT). Special status Unlike the 50 states, Washington operates under a unique relationship with the federal government that limits its autonomy and grants Congress extraordinary control over local matters. Since the mid-1970s, the Home Rule Act has allowed residents to elect a mayor and a city council, although Congress still controls the city's budget. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, said late Thursday that "there is no statute that conveys the District's personnel authority to a federal official." The overwhelmingly Democratic city faces allegations from Republican politicians that it is overrun by crime, plagued by homelessness and financially mismanaged. Yet Washington police data show significant drops in violent crime between 2023 and 2024, although that was coming off the back of a post-pandemic surge. Bowser said earlier this week that violent crime was "at its lowest level in 30 years." Washington is also ranked 15 th on a list of major US cities by homeless population, according to government statistics from last year. Trump, meanwhile, has said he wants to tackle homeless encampments, and move those sleeping rough "FAR from the Capital." On his Truth Social platform, Trump this week described Washington as "under siege from thugs and killers," with higher crime rates than "many of the most violent Third World Countries."
