President Donald Trump giving remarks at a memorial event at the Pentagon alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, center, and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, right, on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2025, in Arlington, VA on Sept. 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon, killing 184 people.
President Donald Trump giving remarks at a memorial event at the Pentagon alongside U.S. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, center, and Air Force Gen. Dan Caine, chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, right, on the anniversary of the 9/11 terror attacks on Sept. 11, 2025, in Arlington, VA on Sept. 11, 2001, American Airlines Flight 77 was deliberately crashed into the Pentagon, killing 184 people.

WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump threatened to federalize Washington, DC and call a national emergency after the city’s Democratic mayor, Muriel Bowser, said she does not expect the Metropolitan Police Department to work with ICE on immigration enforcement after Trump’s 30-day takeover ends.

The president said in a social media post that if Bowser didn't agree to work with ICE, the consequences would be dire, saying, "CRIME would come roaring back."

Trump signed an executive order on Aug. 11 declaring a crime emergency in Washington, invoking a section of the federal Home Rule Act of 1973 that allows him to direct the district to give his administration control of the police department for 30 days. His emergency takeover has since expired.

Bowser signed an executive order on Sept. 2 requiring district officials to coordinate with federal law enforcement agencies "to the maximum extent allowable by law within,” listing off several federal agencies such as the U.S. Marshals Service and the FBI. Not included on the list is U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Bowser told reporters at a Sept. 10 press conference that the executive order requires a return to the “pre-emergency status quo.”

“Immigration enforcement is not what MPD does. And with the end of the emergency, it won’t be what MPD does in the future,” she later added.

Trump blasted Bowser in an early morning Sept. 15 Truth Social post. “Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has presided over this violent criminal takeover of our Capital for years, has informed the Federal Government that the Metropolitan Police Department will no longer cooperate with ICE in removing and relocating dangerous illegal aliens. If I allowed this to happen, CRIME would come roaring back. To the people and businesses of Washington, D.C., DON’T WORRY, I AM WITH YOU, AND WON’T ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. I’ll call a National Emergency, and Federalize, if necessary!!!"

Trump has claimed that his takeover has resulted in a safer DC.

“D.C. has gone from one of the most dangerous and murder ridden cities in the U.S.A., and even around the World, to one of the safest - In just a few weeks,” he wrote in the post.

Bowser has agreed that the increased federal presence has helped reduce the number of homicides, carjackings and gun crimes. However, violent crime in the city was already down by 26% from 2024 when Trump announced his takeover.

Maintaining a federalized police force beyond 30 days requires action from Congress. House Speaker Mike Johnson has said he won't work to extend the deadline.

Contributing: Joseph Garrison and Zachary Schermele, USA TODAY

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump threatens to federalize DC, call a national emergency over ICE dispute

Reporting by Sudiksha Kochi, USA TODAY / USA TODAY

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