President Donald Trump Homeless people in the country’s capital say they will move far from the city as part of his federation Policing acquisition District of Columbia and criminal crackdowns.
His exact plan is unclear, and as the Republican administration has pledged, there is concern among others who say there is a way to deal with the issue of homelessness.
Washington’s position as a federal district established in Congress gives Trump the opportunity to promote a harsh crime agenda, but he has not proposed a solution to the root cause of it. Homeless Or a crime.
Let’s take a look at what we know and how Trump’s actions affect the city’s homeless population.
How many homeless people are there in Washington?
It is difficult to obtain the exact number of homeless populations.
On the day at the end of January, local governments across the United States will run what is called “point-in-time” counts, which aims to capture the total number of people without emergency shelters, transitional homes, or housing.
According to Democratic mayor Muriel Bowser, the district’s number in 2025 was 5,138 adults and children, down 9% compared to the previous year.
Where are the homeless people in the city taken?
That’s not entirely clear.
Trump wrote on his social media site before announcing the acquisition, “Homeless people have to leave immediately. We will provide you with a place to stay, but far from the capital.”
Asked at a media briefing at the White House on Tuesday, when homeless people relocate, the Caroline Levitt news agency said local police and federal agencies will “enforce the laws already in the books.”
Citing city regulations she said she would “authorize local police to take action on homeless encampments,” she said homeless people would be “leaved from camps, taken to homeless shelters and given the option of being addicted or provided with mental health services.” Those who refuse are “are more likely to receive fines and prison time.”
In the past five months, U.S. Parks Police have removed 70 homeless encampments, giving the same options to those living within them, she said. As of Tuesday, Leavitt said only two homeless encampments remained in district parks maintained by the National Park Service and will be removed this week.
What are city authorities doing for the homeless?
District officials said on Tuesday that additional shelter spaces are available after Trump said federal agents would eliminate homeless people in the city.
City manager Kevin Donohue said outreach workers are visiting homeless encampments and the city has a building that can accommodate as many as 200 people if needed.
Donahue made comments during his conversations with community supporters and Bowser. The conversation aired on X.
He said outreach continues throughout the week with “a greater level of urgency.”
Bowser said when Trump saw the city’s homeless camp, “causing something in him that he believes our very beautiful city is dirty.”
What are the people in Washington saying?
Washington residents have highlighted crime reductions in recent years, and in an interview Tuesday, concerns over the removal of homeless camps have criticized the federal takeover of the city’s police department.
Jerad Tyre, who has lived in the city for 15 years, said “crime has been slowing down recently,” and claimed that federal forces would only escalate tensions because they don’t have “relationships with people in the community” like local police.
Shayna Taylor, 36, said it was even more frightening as the presence of federal forces in the city she was born and raised.
Taylor said federal officials watched around her home and around the subway and were worried about targeting young people and people experiencing homelessness.
“Being homeless is not a crime,” she said, highlighting the need for solutions to the root causes of homelessness and crime, rather than policing.
At several spots in the city, AP journalists spoke with homeless people who were told by federal law enforcement officials or advocacy groups to pack tents and belongings from parks and other public spaces before more formal removal measures. Some expressed fear and anxiety about what would come.
Don’t you know what yet?
It is not clear exactly which agents specifically appointing homeless people to move to areas outside of the city will be tasked with.
Nor does it have any detailed information on how people will be accommodated or provided in new locations.
Some supporters have raised constitutional questions about the legality of forcing the removal of homeless people from cities.
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Associated Press authors Chicago’s Christine Fernando, Mike Balsamo and Darlene Superyu. Riverchan is a video journalist. Photographer Jaclyn Martin contributed to this report.
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You can access Kinnard http://x.com/megkinnardap
