White House officials and attorneys for Washington DC have agreed to scale back the Trump administration’s takeover of the city’s police department, keeping the force under the control of its chief, Pamela Smith. The agreement, announced late on Friday, reverses an earlier order that would have placed the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under the authority of Terry Cole, the top administrator of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA).
Under the revised directive issued by US Attorney General Pam Bondi, Cole will instead act as her “designee” for directing the DC mayor to provide police services deemed necessary by the attorney general. These services include assisting federal immigration enforcement, a move that conflicts with the city’s “sanctuary” policies, which restrict MPD cooperation with immigration authorities. The pact also allows the Trump administration to deploy MPD officers for federal purposes in emergencies.
The agreement came after Washington DC sought an emergency restraining order, calling the original takeover a “hostile” abuse of federal power. US District Judge Ana C Reyes had indicated she would issue a temporary order blocking the plan unless the administration altered the arrangement by Friday evening. During oral arguments, Reyes questioned the legal basis for the president to effectively run the city’s police force.
The dispute began when Bondi late on Thursday appointed Cole as “emergency police commissioner”, granting him the powers of the MPD chief and requiring all police orders to receive his approval. DC Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb swiftly condemned the move, with Schwalb filing a lawsuit arguing it exceeded federal authority under the Home Rule Act. The Justice Department and White House have not commented on the legal challenge.
Tensions also rose after Chief Smith earlier this week directed MPD officers to share information with federal agencies such as the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement. However, as a sanctuary city, DC law still prevents police from providing personal details of undocumented individuals in custody to immigration authorities.
