WASHINGTON — D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser on Wednesday credited President Donald Trump's directed surge of federal law enforcement with lowering crime in the nation's capital but made it clear that the presence of immigration agents and National Guard troops is "not working."
Bowser conveyed her ambivalent view of the Trump administration's federalization of D.C. in a situational update since Trump announced efforts to combat crime in the city on Aug. 7. On one hand, she said the changes have resulted in less crime, but on the other she also expressed deep concern about residents' "living in fear."
"We greatly appreciate the surge of officers that enhance what MPD has been able to do in this city," Bowser, a Democrat, told reporters about the expansion of federal law enforcement and its partnership with the Metropolitan Police Department.
Carjackings, she said, were the "most troubling" crime that plagued D.C. in 2023, and they have decreased in recent years. Bowser said that in the 20 days since the federal takeover, there has been an 87% drop in carjackings compared with the same period last year. The data cited also showed a 15% fall in crime overall in the district during the same period last year.
"We know that when carjackings go down, when use of guns goes down, when homicide or robbery go down, neighborhoods feel safer and are safer, so this surge has been important to us," said Bowser, who added that she has been personally engaged with Attorney General Pam Bondi and White House chief of staff Susie Wiles.
Several members of the City Council rebuked Bowser's conciliatory remarks, chiding her for characterizing the surge of federal law enforcement as helpful despite many Democrats’ warnings that Trump is using scare tactics to exert his presidential authority over the city.
"We should not, as the District of Columbia, be giving people the impression that this is a good thing, that we are OK with it, that it is helping the city. It is not doing any of those things," at-large Council member Robert White Jr., a Democrat, said in a video on X. "I am not OK with this. The average resident is not OK with this. D.C. residents, D.C. voters, are not OK with this."
Ward 1 Council member Brianne Nadeau, also a Democrat, echoed White's sentiment, writing on X after Bowser's remarks that D.C. is "under siege."
"Our residents are afraid, hesitant to go out & to work, angry that our limited autonomy is being eroded. There is nothing welcome about this," Nadeau said.
Bowser said she spoke to Trump on Wednesday afternoon, though she declined to provide details of their discussion and said the meeting was a "courtesy."
"I was reminded of our first meeting after his re-election, where we discussed shared priorities for the district," she said. "There, I was reminded that the president's interest in cities predates his time in office, and his knowledge of D.C. had significantly increased from the first time he was in the White House."
Asked what assurance she received that Trump won't try to go beyond the surge's 30-day period, Bowser said, "That was not something that I discussed with the president."
Bowser signaled that the surge may not be needed after the set period. "What we want is local control of our public safety ecosystem," she said when she was asked what she wanted after the month is up. "That includes deployment of officers, and we want federal officers that work in coordination with us — DEA, ATF, FBI — who, as the chief just mentioned, work with us on major crime issues all the time."
She added, "After 30 days, I think we're going to have officers, and we want officers. We want to enhance our officer presence."
Bowser said the police department's ability to address crime in D.C. would be greatly enhanced if the department were able to hire at least 500 police over the next several years. Police Chief Pamela Smith also suggested at the news conference that the city has benefited from the federal task force formed to bring down crime and indicated it could be a solution in the long term “when we do see surges and spikes in crime.”
Bowser said that since the increase in federal law enforcement officers, there have been more stops that have resulted in the seizure of illegal guns and there has been more "accountability in the system" that "is driving down illegal behavior."
"We know that we have had fewer gun crimes, fewer homicides, and we have experienced an extreme reduction in carjackings," she said.
Bowser, however, strongly rebuked the Trump administration's deployment of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents and National Guard troops in the city. "What we know is not working is a break in trust between police and community, especially with new federal partners in our community. We know having masked ICE agents in the community has not worked, and national guards from other states has not been an efficient use of those resources," she said.
While she refused to say whether she brought up her concerns about ICE arrests to Trump or Bondi, Bowser said people should be "assured that the things that we are very concerned about, we are working on a resolution."
Many immigrants in D.C. have felt afraid since the federal law enforcement buildup began, especially as masked agents in unmarked cars have been seen arresting alleged undocumented immigrants.
Bowser said that the local government doesn't have any information about anyone ICE has detained in D.C. recently. "I am concerned, for sure, because we think anything that we do and anything that we're going to ask the federal partners to do is focused on violent crime."
"I am devastated by people living in fear," she said. "I think you know very clearly how I feel about our nation needing comprehensive immigration reform, about the Congress establishing a pathway to citizenship for hard-working people who came to this country for a better life and who are not criminals, who are law-abiding."
Reached for comment about Bowser's remarks, White House spokeswoman Taylor Rogers said that "crime is not a partisan issue."
"Americans expect elected officials to prioritize their safety over politics. President Trump’s bold action and partnership with local law enforcement has quickly minimized violent crime and removed over a thousand criminals from the streets of our nation’s capital," she said. "This includes illegal aliens who have prior arrests for heinous crimes like assault or rape and are members of dangerous gangs like MS-13 and Tren de Aragua. Other Democrat leaders who are criticizing President Trump for cleaning up D.C. should take notes on the tremendous success that Washington, D.C., has already experienced under President Trump’s leadership.”
A White House official said Wednesday that on Tuesday night, 40 undocumented immigrants were arrested who had "multiple convictions for assault, prior criminal arrest for DUI, assaulting a law enforcement officer, prior criminal arrests for controlled dangerous substances with intent to distribute, prior immigration encounters, and one has been deemed special interest alien."
Since the federal surge began, the official said, 1,170 people have been arrested.
