DateIssued:March28,2025
Topic:CriminalJustice,Immigration
ThisexecutiveorderestablishestheD.C.SafeandBeautifulTaskForce,a grouptobecomposedoffederalgovernmentofficialstaskedwith fightingcrimeinD.C.byemployingthefollowingstrategies:
Redirectingresourcestoapprehendanddeportundocumented immigrants.
Acceleratingtheprocessofissuingconcealedcarryfirearmlicenses inD.C.
IncreasingthefederallawenforcementpresenceinkeyareasofD.C., includingtheNationalMallandUnionStation,thecity’smaintrain station.
Deployingfederallawenforcementofficerstoaddressmisdemeanor crimeslikepublicintoxication,Metrofareevasion,andtraffic violations.
SupersedingD.C.’scurrentpretrialdetentionpolicyinorderto incarceratepeoplewhohavenotbeenconvictedofcrimes“tothe maximumextentofthelaw.”
TheorderalsoinstructstheSecretaryoftheInteriortoleadacoalitionof TrumpAdministrationofficialsindevelopingaplantobeautifyD.C.and increase“safetyandprosperity.”Theorderdemandsthattheplan includetheremovalofall“homelessorvagrantencampments”on federalland.
TheNationalParkServicewilloverseetheremovalofunhousedpeople andencampmentsonfederalland. HOWWILLTHISEXECUTIVEORDERBEENFORCED?
ThisexecutiveorderwillbeenforcedbytheD.C.SafeandBeautifulTask Force,chairedbytheAssistanttothePresidentandHomelandSecurity Advisor.ThetaskforceincludesrepresentativesfromtheDepartmentsof theInterior,Transportation,HomelandSecurity,aswellastheFederal BureauofInvestigation,andtheBureauofAlcohol,Tobacco,Firearmsand Explosives.Notably,thetaskforcedoesnotmandatetheinclusionofany D.C.officials.
ThetaskforcereportstotheAttorneyGeneralandthePresidentandis encouragedtomakerecommendationsonfutureexecutiveactionsthat contributetothemissionof“makingD.C.saferandmorebeautiful.”
ThesafetyandbeautificationprovisionswillbeenforcedbytheSecretary oftheInterior,incollaborationwiththeAttorneyGeneral,theSecretaryof Transportation,theU.S.AttorneyfortheDistrictofColumbia,the AdministratorofGeneralServices,andtheNationalCapitalPlanning Commission.
HOWDOESTHISIMPACTBLACKCOMMUNITIES?
BecauseBlackpeoplecomprisemorethan40%oftheD.C.population, andbecauseD.C.ishometoalargenumberofimmigrantsfrom countrieslikeEthiopiaandTrinidadandTobago,thisexecutiveorder willdisproportionatelyimpactBlackcommunities.
ThisorderauthorizestheD.C.SafeandBeautifulTaskForceto“monitor D.C.’ssanctuarycitystatus”anddispatchfederalimmigrationofficials toidentifyundocumentedimmigrantsintheDistrict.Injustthefirstten weeksofPresidentTrump’sterm,hisAdministrationhasunlawfully detainedlegalimmigrants,deportedimmigrantswithprotectedstatus, anddeportedundocumentedimmigrantstocountriesotherthantheir countryoforigin.Theorderwillnotonlystokefearincommunitieswith undocumentedimmigrants,but,giventheserecentincidences,may alsohaveimplicationsforlegalpermanentresidentsandinternational studentsenrolledinD.C.’scollegesanduniversities.
Theorderwillalsomakegunsmoreaccessibleandlessvisible, exacerbatingD.C.’sgunviolencecrisisthathasravagedBlack communities.InJanuary2024,theDistrictpublishedaGunViolence ProblemAnalysis,whichfoundthat94%ofvictimsandsuspectsin nonfatalshootingsand95%ofvictimsandsuspectsinhomicideswere Black.In2022,aBlackpersoninD.C.diedbyfirearmhomicideon averageeverythreedays.Thisorderwillincreaseaccesstofirearms withoutaddressingtherampantgunviolenceinD.C.,therebyputting manymoreBlacklivesatrisk.
HOWDOESTHISIMPACTBLACKCOMMUNITIES?
Bydisbandingencampmentsonfederalland,thisorderwilldisplace thousandsofunhousedpeopleinD.C.About40%oftheunhoused populationintheUnitedStatesisBlack,butover75%of unaccompaniedunhousedpeopleinD.C.areBlack.D.C.homeless sheltersareconsistentlyfullandovercrowded,andhomelessnessrates areincreasingovertime.InearlyMarch,PresidentTrumpsignedan executiveordertolimitthefundingoftheUnitedStatesInteragency CouncilonHomelessness,anorganizationthataddresses homelessnessacrosstheUnitedStates.Together,theseexecutive orderswillhaveasignificantimpactonlow-incomeBlack communities.
ThisorderdirectstheD.C.SafeandBeautifulTaskForcetoamend Federalpretrialdetentionpolicies–whichcurrentlyinstructjudgesto providedefendantswithunrestrictiveconditionalreleases–toensure thatindividualswho“poseagenuinethreattopublicsafety”are remandedwhiletheyawaittrial.Over90%ofpeopleintheD.C. DepartmentofCorrectionsareBlack,andthisorderwouldincrease thatpercentagebyincarceratingpeoplewhohavenotbeenconvicted ofcrimes.Additionally,studiesshowthatanyamountoftimeinjail correlatestoincreasedratesofmentalandphysicalillness,including depression,hypertension,cancer,andhepatitis.Thisordernotonly increasesthefederallawenforcementpresenceinD.C.butalso increasespretrialdetentionforpeopleconvictedoffederalcrimes, whichwillhaveasignificantimpactonBlackcommunitiesinthe District.
HOWARECBCMEMBERSRESPONDING?
CongresswomanEleanorHolmesNortonhasrepresentedD.C.in Congresssince1991andisthelongestservingmemberofthe CongressionalBlackCaucus(CBC).CongresswomanNortonissuedthe followingstatementinresponsetothisexecutiveorder:
“PresidentTrump’sthoroughlyanti-homeruleEOisinsultingtothe 700,000D.C.residentswholiveincloseproximitytoafederal government,whichcontinuestodenythemthesamerightsafforded tootherAmericans.ThetaskforcecreatedbytheEOwouldnotinclude asingleD.C.officialtorepresenttheinterestsofthepeoplewhoreside withintheDistrict.[…]Likestates,cities,andcountiesacrossthe country,D.C.haspassedlawstosupportandprotectthesafetyofall itsresidents,regardlessofimmigrationstatus.Inpassingtheselaws, D.C.followeditsvaluesandwasconvincedofthebenefitsfortheentire city.Anyonewatchingcanseeplainlythattheimmigrationprovisions intheEOweremotivatedbyPresidentTrump’slongstandingantipathy forimmigrants,notconcernaboutlawandorderinthenation’s capital.”FullStatement