The Legal Defense Fund (LDF) today condemned an Executive Order issued last night by President Donald Trump that seeks to impose federal control over Washington D.C.’s local affairs.
LDF Associate Director-Counsel Todd A. Cox issued the following statement.
“This Executive Order does not advance public safety but instead encroaches on local governmental affairs and uses the power of federal law enforcement to criminalize immigrants and poor people and quell dissent. By exerting top-down federal authority that excludes local officials, who were duly elected by D.C. residents, the Order mirrors a broader, troubling trend of seizing power and control from local governments – especially in jurisdictions led by and serving communities of color. At the same time, the Order seeks to increase the number of licenses for concealed weapons in the District and to incarcerate people accused, but not convicted, of crimes to the full extent possible.
“The Order calls for deploying federal law enforcement to strictly enforce so-called ‘quality of life’ offenses—including fare evasion, noise complaints, and public intoxication. These types of low-level offenses have long been weaponized against poor communities and do not improve public safety. Instead, these discredited policies fill jails, destroy lives, deepen inequality, and disproportionately harm Black and brown people.
“Equally alarming are provisions directing federal and local law enforcement to apprehend and deport undocumented immigrants, monitor D.C.’s compliance with federal immigration law, and strictly enforce laws that are often used to deter or punish protesters expressing their dissent.
“Let’s be clear: this Executive Order is a blatant effort to punish poverty, stifle opposition, and curtail civil liberties. These tactics do not make people safe but instead breed the kind of fear that is anathema to a functioning democracy.”
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