President Trump threatened on Monday to declare a national emergency in Washington, D.C., after Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) signaled that the city’s police force would no longer cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) now that his 30-day emergency authority over the city has expired.
In a Truth Social post, Trump accused Bowser of caving to pressure from fellow Democrats, saying she had once been cooperative but was now abandoning efforts that reduced crime in the city. “It has been a beautiful thing to watch but, now, under pressure from the Radical Left Democrats, Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has presided over this violent criminal takeover of our Capital for years, has informed the Federal Government that the Metropolitan Police Department will no longer cooperate with ICE in removing and relocating dangerous illegal aliens,” Trump wrote.
He insisted he would not allow crime to return, declaring, “To the people and businesses of Washington, D.C., DON’T WORRY, I AM WITH YOU, AND WON’T ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. I’ll call a National Emergency, and Federalize, if necessary!!!”
Trump’s warning came after Congress declined to extend his temporary authority over the city’s police, with Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) saying it was not needed and pointing to the city’s past cooperation. Bowser’s executive order, which expired, had permitted coordination between local law enforcement and federal forces. The Army separately extended authorization for National Guard troops in the city through late November.
Bowser said the end of the order meant a return to the “preemergency status quo.” When asked if that meant the Metropolitan Police Department would stop transporting ICE detainees, she replied, “That certainly would be my expectation. Immigration enforcement is not what MPD does. And with the end of the emergency, it won’t be what MPD does in the future.”