D.C. Sues to Block Trump’s Federal Takeover of Metropolitan Police
City leaders call the move the “gravest threat to Home Rule” as federal forces patrol the capital.
Washington, August 15 EST: Washington, D.C. is moving swiftly through the courts to halt what city leaders are calling an unprecedented federal seizure of its police force, a maneuver ordered by President Donald Trump earlier this week under a little-used provision of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act.
Trump Invokes Emergency Powers
On August 11, the president invoked Section 740 of the 1973 Home Rule Act, declaring a public safety emergency and appointing Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole as emergency police commissioner. The directive immediately stripped Metropolitan Police Department control from Police Chief Pamela Smith and the mayor’s office, suspended the city’s sanctuary city policies, and brought a wave of federal officers and National Guard troops into the capital.
According to the Associated Press, the takeover gave Cole sweeping powers to override any MPD directive and reassign officers at will, sidelining city command structures that have been in place for decades.
City Leaders Launch Legal Counterattack
Within hours of the announcement, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, Mayor Muriel Bowser, and Chief Smith filed an emergency lawsuit in federal court seeking a restraining order. Schwalb’s filings called the move “the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced,” warning it would create “operational havoc” and undermine public trust in local governance.
The Washington Post reported that Chief Smith, in a sworn statement, described the order as “dangerous” and argued it would “confuse lines of authority, disrupt coordinated operations, and endanger both residents and officers.”
Questioning the Emergency
Critics have seized on the administration’s justification for the takeover. Trump has repeatedly described D.C. as being in the throes of a crime wave, yet violent crime rates are reportedly at a 30-year low, raising doubts about the necessity of invoking Section 740.
The statute, which has rarely been tested in court, allows a president to take over D.C. government functions during emergencies, but the law’s scope and constitutional limits have never been clearly defined. Reuters notes that any ruling in this case could set a precedent for federal intervention in other local jurisdictions.
Federal Forces Flood the Capital
Following the takeover order, the FBI, DEA, ICE, and ATF began joint patrols with roughly 800 National Guard troops. Their presence has been visible at Metro stations, near federal landmarks, and in several residential neighborhoods.
While federal officials describe the deployments as “supportive,” residents have voiced unease at the sudden militarized policing posture. “I’ve lived here thirty years, and I’ve never seen anything like this,” one Capitol Hill shop owner told the Post.
A Fight Over Home Rule’s Future
The lawsuit’s central argument hinges on the Home Rule Act, which Congress passed in 1973 to grant the District greater autonomy while preserving certain federal powers. The city contends Trump’s interpretation of Section 740 effectively nullifies its local self-governance.
Legal scholars say the dispute could reshape the relationship between the federal government and the nation’s capital. “The District’s autonomy has always existed in a constitutional gray zone,” said one Georgetown law professor quoted by AP. “This case could push the courts to finally define its limits.”
What Comes Next
A federal judge is expected to hear arguments on the restraining order in the coming days. If granted, it would temporarily restore MPD control to city officials while the broader constitutional challenge moves forward.
For now, the city remains under split authority, with federal agents operating alongside local officers in an uneasy coexistence. The standoff underscores a broader political clash between the Trump administration’s approach to urban governance and local leaders’ insistence on self-determination.
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A political science PhD who jumped the academic ship to cover real-time governance, Olivia is the East Coast's sharpest watchdog. She dissects power plays in Trenton and D.C. without bias or apology.
