Community Justice Condemns Trump’s Threatened Federal Takeover of Washington D.C.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 

[AUGUST 11, 2025]

Washington, D.C. — In response to President Trump’s announced plan to dramatically expand federal control over Washington, D.C., including deploying FBI agents to patrol city streets, activating up to 800 National Guard troops, and threatening to override the city’s Home Rule, Community Justice Executive Director, José Alfaro, released the following statement:

“What we are seeing in D.C. is not about safety. It's about power. President Trump’s actions ignore the fact that violence crime in Washington, DC is at an all-time low. Rather than prioritize investing in the community-led initiatives that have effectively reduced violence in recent years, this administration is instead doubling down on counterproductive strategies like  over-policing  Black and Brown neighborhoods. Militarized patrols and federal control will not make communities safer; they will make residents less free. We cannot allow fearmongering and political theater to override the voices of D.C. residents, who have fought for decades for the right to govern their own city. Community safety is built from the ground up, not imposed from the top down.”

These moves come despite crime in D.C. being down compared to last year, mirroring nationwide declines in major cities. Trump’s false claims about a crime surge — alongside rhetoric targeting unhoused residents and communities of color — make clear that this is a political power grab, not a public safety strategy.

Community Justice stands with D.C. residents and grassroots organizations in rejecting any rollback of Home Rule or imposition of militarized federal control. Real public safety comes from investing in housing, education, violence prevention, and community-based solutions, not flooding the streets with law enforcement and military troops.

Press Contact: [Eboni Munn, Communications Director, eboni@cjactionfund.org] 

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Community Justice is a non-partisan project of Tides Center and builds power for communities of color to end gun violence.