Protesters protest the deployment of the National Guard to Washington, D.C.

Trump stated that this takeover was due to "increasing violent incidents" and "criminal emergencies," but its legitimacy is questioned. The White House said 23 people were arrested on the first night.

President Trump announced on Monday that Washington, D.C., had entered a "criminal emergency," and ordered the Department of Justice to take over local police powers, while deploying 800 National Guard members to the capital. This measure has drawn strong criticism from local officials, civil rights leaders, and legal experts, with Washington, D.C., residents taking to the streets to protest, accusing it of being "illegal," "unnecessary," and a "highly authoritarian political maneuver."

The White House emphasized that the move was to curb the rising crime in Washington, D.C., and protect federal buildings and monuments. However, critics point out that according to data, the violence crime rate in Washington has dropped to a 30-year low, and there is no sufficient reason to declare a "state of emergency."

White House spokesperson Levitt said on Tuesday at a press conference that 23 people were arrested on the first night, charged with murder, drug possession, indecent exposure, stalking, and drunk driving, and six illegal guns were seized.

She added that the government would provide shelters, addiction, and mental health services to local homeless people, and those who refused to accept them might face imprisonment.

The Pentagon said on Monday evening that 800 National Guard members had been deployed to Washington, D.C., with 100 to 200 directly supporting law enforcement operations.

Mayor Bowser did not publicly oppose the deployment of military police, but said "this measure is disturbing." She pointed out that the federal government has fully taken over the capital's police system, but the city's police organization structure has not been adjusted, and the operation remains under local command.

"We currently have more police officers, the key is how to maximize the use of these resources," Bowser told the media after meeting with Attorney General Barr on Tuesday.

Barr called the meeting "constructive" on social media X, emphasizing close federal-local cooperation to ensure "law enforcement resources are used where they matter most."

On Monday evening, after Trump announced this order, hundreds of protesters gathered near the White House, expressing their protests with loud boos. Civil rights leader Reverend Sharpton later issued a statement, criticizing Trump's decision as "the ultimate insult to justice and civil rights."

"Trump's disgusting, dangerous, and insulting actions are entirely for personal political interests," Sharpton said, "we should speak openly, it is to divert his supporters' dissatisfaction with the government's poor handling of the Epstein files, deliberately inciting controversy."

According to the Home Rule Act, the president can deploy Washington, D.C. police forces for federal purposes during "special emergency situations," for up to 48 hours; if notified to a specific congressional committee, it can be extended to 30 days, and beyond the time limit requires congressional approval. Trump emphasized that this takeover was to protect federal assets and stated that "force will be used when necessary."

However, the District's Attorney Schwab rejected the claim of an emergency situation, pointing out that the current crime rate in the district is at a 30-year low, and criticized the move as "unprecedented, unnecessary, and illegal."

At the same time, the deployment of the National Guard is an independent action and can last longer than 30 days. According to a report by The Washington Post, these troops have been authorized to directly enforce the law and make arrests.

When the National Guard is deployed to U.S. states, they are commanded by state governors. For federal-level actions, they are commanded by the President, usually requiring a request from the governor of the state. Legal experts pointed out that this mobilization stems from Washington, D.C., not being a state, and the president can directly mobilize the National Guard of the district, whose power is equivalent to a governor mobilizing the state's guard. This does not apply in other states nationwide, because the Militia Act prohibits the federal military from participating in civilian law enforcement.

Despite this, the Trump administration is currently being tried in Los Angeles for using the National Guard to suppress immigration protests in California in June. This case will test whether the court considers the move to violate the 1878 Militia Act and should be revoked. Compared to this, the legal basis for using the guard in Washington, D.C., is more solid. The Department of Justice had previously issued an opinion in 1989, stating that the president can use the National Guard of the district to perform routine law enforcement without violating the Militia Act.

Although Trump has the power to deploy the district's guard, he has no authority to unilaterally "federalize" the district government. According to the U.S. Constitution, Congress has "exclusive legislative authority" over Washington, and retains the final decision-making power to review and veto the district's legislation and budget. If the president wants to change the district's government structure, it must go through the legislative process in Congress, and cannot act unilaterally.

This incident has also reignited attention on the political status of Washington, D.C. As the only area in the United States not belonging to any state, although the residents of the district have the right to vote in local elections, their legislation and budget still need to be approved by Congress.

Washington was once the first city in America where African Americans made up the majority, and it is still a city where African Americans are the majority. Civil rights groups have long criticized the federal control over the district as an example of "systemic deprivation of voting rights and political representation."

Source: rf

Original: www.toutiao.com/article/1840299582081100/

Statement: This article represents the views of the author himself.