Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a stringent directive on Friday evening, significantly ramping up pressure on the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) to align with federal immigration authorities. This latest development marks a notable escalation in the Trump administration's efforts to dismantle Washington, D.C.’s long-standing sanctuary policies.
Under the newly released memo, Bondi has mandated that MPD officers must "fully and completely" cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other federal agencies. This order expands upon an initial directive that placed DEA Acting Administrator Terry Cole in a supervisory role over MPD operations, simultaneously annulling multiple police orders that previously limited cooperation with ICE.
The Department of Justice spokesperson, Chad Gilmartin, underscored the administration's determination, stating, "We are NOT backing down. As required by law, DC’s Police Chief ‘shall provide’ services [President Donald Trump] may deem ‘necessary & appropriate.’” This statement followed Bondi's order, which, unlike the previous one, does not position Cole at the helm of MPD but broadly requires local police involvement in federal immigration enforcement activities.
The timing of these directives is particularly noteworthy, coming just a day after Bondi's initial order and amidst a wider federal takeover of the nation's capital. This takeover has seen the deployment of hundreds of National Guard members and federal law enforcement personnel, with the administration citing early successes in these operations.
According to White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, a recent joint operation involving MPD and federal authorities resulted in 45 arrests, including 29 illegal migrants. Bondi's office portrays these actions as essential steps in re-establishing public safety within Washington, D.C.
However, the Trump administration's anti-sanctuary stance has met with staunch opposition from D.C. Democrats. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb have contested the federal intervention as a violation of D.C.'s "home rule," initiating lawsuits to obstruct it. In response to Bondi's Friday statement, Schwalb sent a letter to MPD Chief Pamela Smith, advising her that the Bondi order is unlawful and that Smith should continue to follow her directives, not federal orders.
The controversy underscores the growing tension between federal authorities and D.C. leadership over jurisdiction in law enforcement and immigration policy. Bondi, however, remains unfazed by the pushback, criticizing Schwalb for his resistance to federal efforts aimed at improving public safety and for his purported failure to enforce consequences for dangerous juvenile offenders.
As federal authorities, backed by Bondi's orders, start to closely monitor MPD's compliance, the legal standoff is poised to persist, with both parties ready to contest the matter in court. The unfolding battle places residents of Washington, D.C., at the center of a high-stakes confrontation over crime, immigration, and the extent of local governance.
