Washington, August 11(HS): US President Donald Trump has ordered the immediate removal of homeless individuals from Washington DC, promising to relocate them “far from the Capital” as part of a sweeping crime-reduction and urban-renewal initiative. The president announced the move on Sunday through his Truth Social account, pledging to make the US capital “safer and more beautiful than it ever was before.”
Trump said accommodation would be provided outside the city and hinted at a Monday press conference to unveil a broader plan. His remarks accompanied images of tents and litter in the city, alongside a warning that “there will be no Mr. Nice Guy.”
The announcement comes after Trump deployed approximately 450 federal agents — including officers from the FBI, DEA, US Marshals Service, and US Park Police — to the streets over the weekend. This follows an alleged attempted carjacking last week that left a former government employee injured.
Mayor Pushes Back
Democratic Mayor Muriel Bowser rejected Trump’s characterisation of DC as crime-ridden, citing a 30-year low in violent crime after a spike in 2023. She criticised comments likening the city to Baghdad as “hyperbolic and false,” and dismissed Trump’s suggestion of taking federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department as legally unfeasible.
Homelessness in Focus
Washington DC — a city of about 700,000 — has roughly 3,782 homeless residents on a given night, with around 800 living unsheltered. Trump has previously proposed relocating them to “high-quality” tent facilities on low-cost land outside urban areas, equipped with bathrooms and medical care.
Crime and Politics
While DC’s homicide rate remains relatively high, federal data indicate that overall violent crime in the city fell last year to its lowest level in three decades. As the capital is a federal district, Trump has limited legal authority to enforce citywide policy, though he controls federal land and buildings. Any wider takeover would require congressional approval.
The president is expected to outline further details of his crime and urban-renewal strategy at the White House on Monday.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
