The Trump administration reversed course Friday in a significant development involving Washington, D.C.’s police leadership. President Trump’s team agreed to leave the city’s police chief in charge for now. This decision followed a legal challenge from D.C. officials. They had sued to block the federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department.
Just one day earlier, the administration had appointed a federal official to temporarily lead the department. That move essentially placed D.C.’s police force under full federal control. However, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a new memo Friday. It instructed D.C. police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, regardless of local sanctuary laws.
Although the Trump team stepped back slightly, tensions remain high. Bondi’s order suggests the administration still plans to pressure local leaders on immigration policy. In her memo, Bondi said city officials should support efforts to “improve public safety” by backing federal immigration enforcement. She also criticized D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, accusing him of blocking safety initiatives.
Still, Bondi stated that the administration would keep working with Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office. The mayor’s office responded cautiously, saying they were reviewing the memo’s legal impact. Despite this cooperation, the district affirmed its sanctuary city policies. Police had already reduced some limits on working with federal agents, but local leaders insisted they would not abandon their laws.
These developments reveal how fiercely local control matters in the ongoing conflict between city and federal officials. By Friday night, legal tensions had deepened. A judge questioned the legality of the administration’s earlier takeover order. This skepticism likely influenced the White House’s decision to ease back.
The week had started with increased federal presence in D.C., including National Guard deployments. Yet as the weekend neared, the city’s leadership fought back to protect its autonomy. Mayor Bowser and her team remain committed to local governance. The legal fight underscores how deeply local control matters, especially in a city governed differently from most others.
As debates over immigration and law enforcement continue, D.C.’s leaders are making one point very clear local control matters now more than ever.
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