The Attorney General of Washington D.C, Brian Schwalb, announced this Friday the filing of a lawsuit in court against the executive order signed by the President of the United States, Donald Trump, to impose federal control over the metropolitan police, supported by the deployment of 800 National Guard members.
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“It is the most serious threat that the autonomy of the District of Columbia has faced and we are going to fight to stop it,” proclaimed Schwalb, who believes that the Trump Administration is “abusing” its powers. “The power of the Federal Government over D.C. is not absolute,” he stated in a press release.
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What are the reasons for the Washington D.C. Attorney General’ lawsuit?
Schwalb stated that in over half a century, no president of the country had dared to adopt a measure of this magnitude, without also having the approval of the local City Council, dominated by the Democratic Party. Schwalb believes that it represents “an affront to the dignity and autonomy of 700,000 Americans,” while also putting the safety of residents and visitors in the capital at risk.
The Attorney General of the United States, Pam Bondi, appointed the Director of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Terry Cole, as the new Commissioner of the Washington Police on Thursday, in compliance with an order that the local prosecutor labels as “flagrantly illegal.”
This measure coincides with the deployment of hundreds of National Guard troops, justified by Trump as a necessary measure to curb allegedly high crime rates, despite the mayor, Muriel Bowser, insisting that there is no official data to support this.
Trump wants to extend control over Washington D.C.
On Wednesday, the President of the United States announced his intention to introduce a new “crime bill” to Congress, with the aim of combating the rise in crime. Additionally, he stated that he will request an extension from lawmakers for his administration to maintain federal authority over the police in the District of Columbia because “you can’t have just 30 days,” he said.
Currently, the emergency powers that allow Trump to exercise control over the Metropolitan Police Department have a validity of only 30 days. To extend that period, the approval of Congress is required.