President Donald Trump has pledged to remove homeless individuals from Washington, D.C., vowing to relocate them “far from the Capital” and crack down on criminal activity. His plan includes sending more federal law enforcement to the city and potentially deploying National Guard troops—an option under his direct control in the District.
Trump’s Statement and Federal Action
In a post on Truth Social, Trump said:
“The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals… We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.”
A White House official confirmed that hundreds of National Guard members could be mobilized, following a model Trump used earlier this year in Los Angeles during immigration-related protests.
Under U.S. law, Washington, D.C. does not have the same level of autonomy as states, meaning the President can more easily direct local National Guard resources. Previous deployments have included responses to major security incidents, such as the January 6 Capitol attack.
Homelessness Crisis Concentrated Elsewhere
According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s 2024 Annual Homeless Assessment Report (AHAR), five metropolitan areas account for more than one-third of the nation’s homeless population, with New York City topping the list at approximately 140,134 people without shelter, followed by Los Angeles with about 71,201. Other cities with some of the largest homeless populations include Chicago, Seattle (King County), and Denver, while HUD’s Continuum of Care (CoC) data also places San Diego and San José/Santa Clara County among the top 10, each with around 10,000 unhoused residents. By comparison, Washington, D.C. is nowhere near those levels, yet former President Donald Trump has recently floated measures to “clean up” the capital’s streets—moves critics say are aimed less at addressing homelessness and more at avoiding an “uncomfortable view” of a deep-rooted crisis that is not being meaningfully addressed.
Sources: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, USAFacts, U.S. News.
Local Response and Crime Context
Mayor Muriel Bowser pushed back on Trump’s depiction of the city, citing a 26% drop in violent crime and a 7% overall decrease in crime in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period in 2024.
Legal experts note that any attempt to forcibly relocate people from public spaces—especially those not on federal land—could face significant challenges under existing laws protecting local governance, such as the Home Rule Act.
This latest move follows weeks of escalating rhetoric from Trump about crime and public order in the capital. While more than 450 federal officers are already operating in parts of Washington, the proposed measures suggest a deeper federal intervention that could last beyond the immediate homelessness initiative.
Advocacy groups, homelessness experts, and some political commentators have argued that Trump’s latest remarks and proposed actions reveal more than a policy disagreement—they reflect a deep discomfort with visible poverty in the nation’s capital. These critics point to his history of describing homeless encampments as “disgraceful,” “dangerous,” and “an embarrassment to the country,” language they say frames the presence of unhoused people primarily as a visual nuisance or public relations problem rather than a symptom of structural issues like unaffordable housing, mental health crises, and stagnant wages.
They also highlight that Trump has repeatedly linked homelessness to crime in broad terms, despite data from the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness showing that most unhoused individuals are far more likely to be victims than perpetrators of violence. In their view, his relocation plan—especially in a city where homelessness is far less severe than in other metropolitan areas—signals that the goal is not to address the root causes of poverty, but to remove poor individuals from view in high-profile public spaces.
Critics further note that this framing aligns with past comments Trump has made about “cleaning up” urban centers for events, tourism, or political optics, suggesting that the priority is image management rather than long-term solutions. For them, the proposed use of the National Guard in this context underscores a punitive approach toward poverty, one that risks criminalizing the very people most in need of support.
