President Trump threatened to declare a national emergency after Washington D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser said she expects local police to stop cooperating with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
“The Federal Government, under my auspices as President of the United States of America, has stepped into the complete criminal mess that was Washington, D.C., our Nation’s Capital. Because of this, D.C. has gone from one of the most dangerous and murder ridden cities in the U.S.A., and even around the World, to one of the safest – In just a few weeks,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“The ‘place’ is absolutely booming, with restaurants, stores, and businesses packed and, for the first time in decades, virtually NO CRIME. It has been a beautiful thing to watch but, now, under pressure from the Radical Left Democrats, Mayor Muriel Bowser, who has presided over this violent criminal takeover of our Capital for years, has informed the Federal Government that the Metropolitan Police Department will no longer cooperate with ICE in removing and relocating dangerous illegal aliens. If I allowed this to happen, CRIME would come roaring back,” he continued.
“To the people and businesses of Washington, D.C., DON’T WORRY, I AM WITH YOU, AND WON’T ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN. I’ll call a National Emergency, and Federalize, if necessary!!! Thank you for your attention to this matter,” he added.

The Hill has more:
Congress did not vote to extend the president’s 30-day emergency authority over the city’s police force, which expired last week. Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.) said he thought it was “not necessary,” noting Congress had not received a request to act and that the city has been cooperative.
ADVERTISEMENTBowser’s executive order authorized coordination between local police and federal forces. The Army also extended authorization of National Guard troops in the city through Nov. 30.
Bowser said last week that the executive order requires the return to “the preemergency status quo.” Asked whether that means the Metropolitan Police Department will stop cooperating by transporting ICE detainees, Bowser said, “That certainly would be my expectation.”
“Immigration enforcement is not what MPD does. And with the end of the emergency, it won’t be what MPD does in the future,” she added.
Trump vows to call a national emergency in Washington, DC over ICE dispute https://t.co/REpNBIWesT pic.twitter.com/asfheYJNEE
— New York Post (@nypost) September 15, 2025
The New York Post shared additional details:
“I don’t,” the elected Democrat told reporters last week when asked if she feared that would provoke Trump. “We have a long history of working with federal law enforcement, and we’re going to continue to partner in ways that make sense for DC safety.”
During Trump’s second term, Bowser has sought to refrain from provoking the president, after being publicly critical of him during his first administration.
But Bowser, a staunch advocate of DC statehood, did criticize Trump’s initial order to federalize MPD.
However, Bowser also took executive action Sept. 2 to “ensure coordination with federal law enforcement to the maximum extent allowable by law within the District.”
Over the first three weeks of the federal surge, property crime incidents fell 25% and violent crime dropped by 10%, according to data from the MPD.
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