On Tuesday, September 2, 2025, Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued an executive order that signals a new phase in the capital’s ongoing struggle over public safety and local autonomy. With President Donald Trump’s 30-day federal takeover of D.C.’s police force nearing its expiration, Bowser’s order requires the city’s Metropolitan Police Department to continue coordinating with federal law enforcement "to the maximum extent allowable by law within the District"—and, notably, does so without setting an end date.
The move comes after a tumultuous month in which Trump invoked emergency powers under the District of Columbia’s Home Rule Act, sending National Guard troops into the city and taking direct control of its police department. The stated goal, according to the Trump administration, was to "reestablish law, order and public safety" amid what the president described as a crime emergency in the nation’s capital. As reported by Newsweek, Trump has even floated the idea of extending similar federal interventions to other cities, such as Chicago and Baltimore, though such actions would likely face legal challenges.
Bowser’s executive order appears to be an attempt to smooth the transition as federal control is set to expire, while also ensuring continued collaboration with federal agencies. In a statement released by her office, Bowser described the order as "the pathway forward beyond the Presidential emergency," emphasizing that the city would continue to work with federal partners to advance shared priorities. The Safe and Beautiful Emergency Operations Center (SBEOC) will remain in place to manage the District’s response to the federal emergency declaration and oversee post-emergency planning and operations.
According to FOX 5 DC, the SBEOC will not only coordinate with federal law enforcement but also focus on public safety, justice, homelessness, encampments, beautification, and economic resilience. The Deputy Mayor for Public Safety and Justice has been tasked with addressing federal requests and working directly with the Safe and Beautiful Task Force, while the Office of the Deputy Mayor for Health and Human Services is leading efforts related to homelessness and housing. Outreach teams recently identified 764 people living outside in the District, including 81 individuals in tents. Approximately 80 more people have entered the city’s shelter system since the surge began, though their previous living situations remain unknown.
Bowser’s order also includes a pointed request: federal law enforcement officers should adhere to policing practices that maintain community confidence, such as not wearing masks that conceal their identities, clearly identifying their agency, and providing identification during arrests or public encounters. This call comes in response to concerns that some federal officers have continued to wear masks, despite Bowser’s objections—a practice that has raised alarms about transparency and accountability.
The mayor’s conciliatory approach has drawn sharp criticism from various corners. According to The Washington Post, a recent poll showed that eight in ten D.C. residents oppose Trump’s federal takeover of the city’s police force. Progressive groups have been especially vocal, with a coalition penning a letter to Bowser warning that her cooperation "lends credence to the federal overreach, invites future attempts to degrade our home rule, and feeds a narrative that dehumanizes our neighbors and puts them at greater risk." The letter continued, "History is calling upon you to lead our people, not to cower in the face of an authoritarian who does not have our best interests in mind. There is no strategy in appeasement, only the reality that the more we give, the more they will take."
On the national stage, the controversy has become a flashpoint for broader debates about democracy, local control, and the limits of presidential power. U.S. Representative Jamie Raskin joined a media call with the Not Above the Law Coalition on September 1, arguing forcefully against Trump’s actions. Raskin stated, "There is no emergency now," and pointed out that Congress had granted D.C. home rule powers for its police department. He insisted that the president’s actions would have been more appropriate during the January 6 siege of the U.S. Capitol, not in the current context.
Raskin also highlighted alternative strategies for addressing crime, suggesting that the federal government should focus on ending gun control loopholes and restoring $800 million in local law enforcement grants, rather than simply making more arrests. Lisa Gilbert, co-president of Public Citizen, echoed these concerns, calling Trump’s actions "an attack on fundamental rights," and accusing the president of firing people and defying court orders.
During the same call, the Not Above the Law Coalition announced that 127 organizations had signed a letter urging Congress to pass a resolution ending Trump’s takeover and terminating the federal emergency declaration. The letter stated, "This isn’t about crime statistics or urban policy—it’s about whether our constitutional system can withstand a deliberate authoritarian assault. Congress has both the authority and the duty to act. History will judge those who fought for democracy and those who remained silent." Other speakers, including Maya Wiley of the Leadership Conference on Civil and Human Rights, Norm Eisen, and Elizabeth Goitein, underscored the civil rights and legal implications of the federal intervention.
Despite this outcry, the White House has praised Bowser’s willingness to cooperate. Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt wrote on social media, "The Trump Administration is grateful to continue partnering with Mayor Bowser to make DC the safest city in the country. The Mayor’s fellow Democrats should take note, working with President Trump means safer communities and less crime—no one in their right mind could seriously oppose that." President Trump himself described Bowser as "very helpful" during a press conference on Tuesday, with a White House official telling The Washington Post that the president was delighted by the mayor’s order.
Not all local officials are so sanguine. D.C. Councilmember Zachary Parker took to social media to express a different perspective: "This moment shows the limits of individual leadership and the strength of collective power. The truth remains: most Washingtonians want decisions guided by our community values, not federal overreach. We keep us safe."
The numbers tell their own story. According to FOX 5 DC, more than 200 arrests were made in the District over Labor Day weekend, bringing the total since the federal takeover began last month to 1,669. Whether these figures reflect a genuine crime emergency or the effects of an intensified law enforcement presence is a matter of ongoing debate.
As the federal emergency declaration’s 30-day limit approaches, the future of public safety in Washington, D.C. remains uncertain. Bowser’s order may provide a temporary bridge, but it has also exposed deep divisions—both within the city and between local and federal authorities—about how best to keep the capital safe while respecting its autonomy and the rights of its residents.
The coming weeks will reveal whether this uneasy partnership can hold, or if the struggle over D.C.’s streets will become a defining battle in the broader contest over American democracy and local self-government.
