The Committee of 100 on the Federal City calls for the cessation of the unprecedented interference by the federal government in District of Columbia affairs. No emergency exists that justifies the federal law enforcement surge, including the mobilization of the District’s own National Guard and those of various States, or the deployment of agents from the FBI, ATF, the DEA, ICE, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Secret Service to patrol DC. The federal overreach is unprecedented and deeply troubling.
It is unclear how the National Guard deployment to the National Mall and various Metro stations reduces violent crime. And, since the tragic attack on two members of the West Virginia National Guard, Metropolitan Police members have reportedly been assigned to patrolling with the Guard, which diverts them from their city-wide crime prevention mission. The arrests of law-abiding immigrants who have lived and worked in the District for years is particularly troubling. These individuals are key workers in our critical tourism and restaurant sectors.
The federal actions are an undemocratic and performative show of force that is all about power and control. It will accomplish little. Reports indicate that tourism is declining due to fears, attributable to Trump’s unfounded claim that DC is unsafe. But the basic issue remains – the federal actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the more than 700,000 residents of the District and a blow to Home Rule.