In the heart of the nation’s capital, a sweeping federal intervention led by President Donald Trump has upended not just the city’s law enforcement landscape but also its daily rhythms, from bustling restaurants to the political pulse of its neighborhoods. The deployment of National Guard troops and federal agents, along with the federalization of the D.C. police force, has sparked both fierce debate and palpable tension across Washington, D.C.
The operation began in earnest on Monday, August 11, 2025, when President Trump invoked the D.C. Home Rule Act and signed an executive order declaring a “crime emergency” in Washington. This order initiated a federal takeover of the city’s police department and mandated local police cooperation with federal immigration enforcement—a move that immediately set off alarm bells among city officials and residents alike, according to the Associated Press.
By August 18, three more Republican governors—from Mississippi, Tennessee, and Louisiana—had authorized the deployment of their National Guard troops to the city, bringing the total number of state troops involved to over 1,100 from six states. This was on top of the 800 National Guard troops already called up from the D.C. guard, as reported by the Associated Press. Additional deployments were soon pledged: 300 to 400 troops from West Virginia, 200 from South Carolina, and 150 from Ohio, further swelling the federal presence on Washington’s streets.
The stated aim of the operation, according to President Trump and his administration, was to crack down on crime and restore order. Trump was quick to tout the effectiveness of the intervention, claiming, “We went from the most unsafe place, anywhere to a place that now people, friends are calling me up, Democrats are calling me up, and they're saying: 'Sir, I want to thank you. My wife and I went out to dinner last night for the first time in four years, and Washington, D.C. is safe, and you did that in four days.'” He doubled down on this narrative during a Fox News appearance, asserting, “Did you see what's happening with the restaurants? They're bursting.”
Yet, the data tells a different story. OpenTable, which tracks restaurant reservations, reported a dramatic drop in diners in Washington following the federal intervention. On the day Trump announced the takeover, reservations fell 16% compared to the same day in 2024. The decline only deepened as the week progressed—27% on Tuesday, 31% on Wednesday, 29% on Thursday, and 25% on Friday. Even the weekend saw dips of 20% and 22%, as first reported by WUSA9. Overall, August reservations in D.C. were down 7% compared to the previous year, making it one of the few American cities to see such a sharp downturn this month, despite a previous streak of 11 months of year-over-year growth.
Restaurant owners and workers on the ground have felt the pinch. Ariel Pereira, a server at Osteria Al Volo, described the impact to Fortune: only about 40% of the dining room was occupied, compared to usual full capacity. Shawn Townsend, president and CEO of the Restaurant Association Metropolitan Washington, pointed out that while August is typically slow due to congressional recess and vacations, “the added visibility of federal agents and troops on the streets can’t be ignored—it’s contributing to the downturn.”
President Trump, however, painted a rosier picture. During an Oval Office meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, he claimed, “People who haven’t gone out to dinner in Washington, D.C., in two years are going out to dinner, and the restaurants the last two days were busier than they’ve been in a long time.” These anecdotal claims stood in stark contrast to the real-time data and the lived experiences of many in the city.
The operation’s law enforcement results have been significant, at least by the numbers. Federal agents have made 380 arrests in the week following the start of the operation, according to the Associated Press, with 160 of those being undocumented individuals—some of whom the White House alleges are known gang members. Attorney General Pam Bondi highlighted the crackdown’s scale, reporting via social media that “137 arrests were made and 21 illegal firearms were seized” over just one weekend, and that total arrests since the operation began had reached 465, with 68 firearms seized.
Despite these numbers, the move has drawn sharp criticism from local leaders and civil liberties advocates. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser, for one, questioned the operation’s true intent. “I think it makes the point that this is not about D.C. crime,” she said, suggesting the focus on immigration enforcement should be made explicit. Bowser also expressed concern over the conduct of federal agents, particularly those making arrests while masked and refusing to identify themselves. “It’s very important to us that agents be identified,” she insisted. “There’s no reason for a law enforcement official to be masked.”
Community response has been equally divided. Hundreds of residents took to the streets on August 16 to protest what they described as a “hostile takeover,” including demonstrations against a new youth curfew restricting teenagers under 17 from gathering in popular hangouts. Some, like Rosa Brooks—a former D.C. Metropolitan reserve police officer and Georgetown Law professor—voiced alarm, telling NPR, “There is not a crime crisis in D.C. This is police state territory, banana republic police state territory.” Others, however, welcomed the federal intervention. Leroy Thorpe, founder of Citizen Organized Patrol Efforts, told NBC Washington, “I’m happy Trump is gonna have his department take over the police department. I think it’s needed, I think we will have some results.”
The legal standoff between local and federal authorities only escalated when, on August 15, the city’s attorney general sued the administration for appointing the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration as the city’s “emergency police commissioner.” Though that move was quickly walked back, it was followed by an order requiring local police to fully cooperate with federal immigration authorities—an order that contradicts existing local laws.
Questions remain about the arming of National Guard troops. The Pentagon and Army have stated that weapons are available but typically remain in the armory, while the D.C. National Guard indicated that troops "may be armed consistent with their mission and training." This uncertainty has only fueled anxiety among residents already wary of the increased militarization of their city.
Meanwhile, Trump’s administration continues to tout the operation as a model for other cities, even as controversy and protest swirl. Federal agents from the DEA, ICE, FBI, Secret Service, and other agencies now patrol high-traffic areas like the National Mall and Union Station, their presence both a reassurance for some and a source of unease for others.
As Washington, D.C. grapples with the realities of federal intervention—its streets quieter, its restaurants emptier, its politics more polarized—the city finds itself at the crossroads of security and self-governance, with no easy answers in sight.
