Washington, D.C., witnessed a significant policy reversal on Thursday after Attorney General Pam Bondi dismantled longstanding restrictions on cooperation between the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) and federal immigration agencies. The decision comes under the backdrop of President Trump’s sweeping anti-crime campaign in the capital, which has already brought the city’s police force under temporary federal control.
The move reverses what Bondi described as “sanctuary city protections,” clearing the way for D.C. officers to assist Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies without the prior legal limitations set by local officials. Bondi’s order follows President Trump’s recent emergency declaration invoking federal powers for 30 days, citing escalating concerns over violent crime, homelessness, and public disorder in the nation’s capital.
Under the order, Terry Cole, current head of the Drug Enforcement Administration, was appointed as Washington’s emergency police chief. Bondi said this would allow for “seamless coordination” between local and federal law enforcement bodies during the period of federal oversight.
End of Local Restrictions on Immigration Enforcement by Pam Bondi
Before Bondi’s directive, D.C. police officers operated under guidance that largely shielded undocumented immigrants from local arrest based solely on immigration status. Officers could assist ICE in limited ways — such as transporting detainees or sharing information during traffic stops — but were prohibited from carrying out arrests solely for civil immigration violations.
Bondi’s order abolishes those barriers entirely. It allows MPD officers to search databases for immigration status checks without a related criminal warrant, arrest individuals on ICE-issued administrative warrants, and cooperate fully in immigration raids. This includes honoring ICE “detainer” requests to transfer noncitizen detainees even when no judge-signed warrant exists.
“D.C. will not remain a sanctuary city, actively shielding criminal aliens,” Bondi told Fox News, underscoring the administration’s broader policy of punishing jurisdictions that limit federal immigration enforcement.
City Officials Push Back on Legality
Local leaders swiftly challenged Bondi’s authority to impose these changes. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser posted a letter from District Attorney General Brian Schwalb late Thursday, asserting that the directives are “unlawful” and not binding on the city’s police force.
“It is my opinion that the Bondi Order is unlawful, and that you are not legally obligated to follow it,” Schwalb wrote to Police Chief Pamela Smith. He stressed that MPD officers must comply with orders issued by officials appointed by the mayor, not by federal appointees.
The challenge sets up a potential legal battle over the limits of federal power in the District of Columbia — a unique jurisdiction where Congress and the president maintain certain oversight powers despite local governance.
Trump’s Broader Crackdown on Crime and Immigration
Bondi’s actions are part of a much wider effort by the Trump administration to curb crime and address illegal immigration in Washington. The president has already deployed National Guard troops and hundreds of agents from the DEA, Customs and Border Protection, ICE, and the FBI to patrol high-crime areas of the city.
Administration officials argue that sanctuary-style policies “invite lawlessness” and hinder the removal of dangerous offenders. The White House has also threatened legal action and federal funding cuts for jurisdictions that resist immigration enforcement, framing such resistance as an obstacle to public safety.
Critics counter that the administration’s approach conflates immigration violations with violent crime, stoking fear among immigrant communities and undermining local policing priorities.
Possible Legal and Political Fallout
The Bondi directive has opened a new front in the long-running conflict between local autonomy and federal authority in Washington, D.C. While the federal government wields unique powers over the city, local officials contend that law enforcement policy should remain under municipal control except in extraordinary circumstances.
If Schwalb’s stance holds and MPD refuses to follow Bondi’s order, the situation could trigger court challenges over the emergency powers invoked by President Trump. It could also intensify political tensions in a city that has long resisted full federal control over its affairs.
For now, the nation’s capital stands at the center of a high-stakes debate on immigration, crime, and the balance of power between local governance and Washington’s federal authorities.
