Officials in Washington, D.C., sued the Trump administration on Friday, claiming the president’s federal takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department this week is as “unlawful” abuse of the Home Rule Act.
“We are suing to block the federal government takeover of D.C. police. By illegally declaring a takeover of MPD, the administration is abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law,” District of Columbia Attorney General Brian Schwalb said in a statement. “This is the gravest threat to Home Rule D.C. has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it.”
Schwalb is seeking an emergency restraining order to ensure governing powers remain in the district’s hands.
“The administration’s actions are brazenly unlawful. They go well beyond the bounds of the president’s limited authority and instead seek a hostile takeover of MPD. They infringe on the district’s right to self-governance and put the safety of D.C. residents and visitors at risk,” his statement continued. “This is an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home. Our office will go to court to defend Home Rule, block the unlawful orders, and maintain MPD under district control. We have no choice but to stand up for D.C. residents’ rights and safety.”
While Trump signed the executive order to “make our capital great again” with National Guard troops on Monday, Schwalb’s update notably comes a day after AG Pam Bondi effectively made DEA boss Terry Cole acting police chief.
Meanwhile, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser issued a statement of her own late Thursday, saying, “Let us be clear about what the law requires during a presidential-declared emergency: it requires the mayor of Washington, D.C., to provide the services of the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes at the request of the president. We have followed the law. In reference to the U.S. attorney general’s order, there is no statute that conveys the district’s personnel authority to a federal official.”
Trump’s move echoes his similar tactics when deploying the National Guard to Los Angeles back in June and July amid ICE protests, much to the disapproval of California Gov. Gavin Newsom and L.A. Mayor Karen Bass.
