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FEDERAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICERS are patrolling the streets of Washington, D.C., as President Trump ramps up his challenge to the District’s self-governance.

The new federal patrols, which went into effect at midnight, are led by the U.S. Park Police (USPP) and include officers from the FBI; Drug Enforcement Administration; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives; and Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); among others.

The USPP said it seized stolen firearms and illegal drugs early Friday as part of the new federal enforcement activity.

“Overnight, USPP officers and our federal partners collaborated to enforce EO 14252, Making the District of Columbia Safe and Beautiful,” the Park Police’s Washington office posted on social media platform X.

“Our teams made arrests for possession of two stolen firearms and illegal drugs removing these dangerous items from the community,” the account added.

NewsNation’s Tanya Noury reports that the increased presence will largely be felt at night, when crime is more prevalent. The administration has not detailed how many law enforcement officers will be deployed, citing safety concerns. Mayor Muriel Bowser (D) did not comment when NewsNation asked for her reaction.

Trump’s moves are in line with his broader confrontations with Washington institutions, as well as his crackdowns on crime and illegal immigration.

The president said this week he’s considering taking control of the D.C. police department after a former Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) employee was beaten during an attempted carjacking.

“Washington, D.C., is an amazing city, but it has been plagued by violent crime for far too long,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said.

“President Trump has directed an increased presence of federal law enforcement to protect innocent citizens," she added. "Starting tonight, there will be no safe harbor for violent criminals in D.C. President Trump is committed to making our Nation’s capital safer for its residents, lawmakers, and visitors from all around the world.”

White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller said that D.C. is “more violent than Baghdad” and “many of the most dangerous places in the world.”

The former DOGE employee, Edward Coristine, was beaten by a group of teens near the White House. Two 15-year-olds have been charged with unarmed carjacking.

Trump’s newly confirmed U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia Jeanine Pirro is pushing for the age of legal accountability in the District to be lowered to 14.

In a Friday interview on the "Cats & Cosby Show" on WABC 770 AM, Pirro slammed the District’s Democratic leadership.

“D.C. has problems,” Pirro told hosts John Catsimatidis and Rita Cosby. “D.C. in particular is a very violent city in terms of homicides compared to other cities in the United States.”

Rep. Byron Donalds R-Fla.) is reintroducing a bill to assert congressional control over the District’s sentencing policies.

The D.C. Criminal Reforms to Immediately Make Everyone Safe Act, or DC CRIMES Act, would prohibit local officials from changing sentencing laws and restrict the ability of local judges to be more lenient with younger criminals.

Trump has mused about a broader federal takeover of the nation’s capital, although that would require the approval of the House and Senate to repeal the Home Rule Act of 1973, which gives Washington its current measure of self-government.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION LATEST

• The New York Times reports that Trump secretly signed a directive instructing the Pentagon to use military force against some Latin American drug cartels that his administration deemed to be terrorist organizations.

• The Trump administration asked the Supreme Court to lift a judge’s limits on “roving” immigration raids in the Los Angeles area.

That move came in response to a federal judge's ruling that ICE agents were conducting raids that likely ran afoul of constitutional protections against unreasonable seizures.

• A federal appeals court panel voted 2-1 to scrap a judge’s probable cause finding to hold Trump administration officials in criminal contempt for disobeying the judge's order to turn around deportation flights headed to El Salvador.

• ICE is expected to begin using a Texas military base to detain individuals who immigrated to the U.S. illegally on Aug. 17.

💡Perspectives:

• New York: Trump threatens DC takeover.

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© The Hill