WASHINGTON — Brian Schwalb, the attorney general for the District of Columbia, filed a lawsuit in federal court in Washington on Friday challenging the Trump administration's takeover of the Metropolitan Police Department.
The lawsuit challenges Trump's Monday order as well as Attorney General Pam Bondi's Thursday order claiming federal control of the D.C. police force. Schwalb's office argued that the orders exceed the limits on requesting services from D.C., which it says can only be done on a temporary basis under emergency circumstances.
The office also sought a temporary restraining order to enjoin the Trump administration from taking over the police department, saying that D.C. would "suffer devastating and irreparable harms" if the Trump administration's efforts succeeded.
"By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the District’s right to self-governance and putting the safety of DC residents and visitors at risk,” Schwalb, a Democrat, said in a statement. “The Administration’s unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it.”
Bondi announced Thursday that DEA Administrator Terry Cole would be the "emergency police commissioner" of MPD for the duration of Trump's takeover, superseding Police Chief Pamela Smith.
The suit said that implementing Bondi’s order would “upend the entire command structure of MPD and sow chaos among the more than 3,100 officers serving the District, endangering the safety of the public and law enforcement officers alike.”
In Bondi's order, she said that Cole would "assume all of the powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police" — meaning the existing leadership of the D.C. police, including Smith, will have to receive approval from Cole before issuing any further directives for the department.
Schwalb’s office said Trump only had authority to request services for “federal purposes,” and that Congress didn’t grant the authority to replace D.C.’s police chief.
He sent a letter to Smith on Thursday night saying, “It is my opinion the Bondi order is unlawful, and that you are not legally obligated to follow it.”
Bowser, who had been complying with Trump’s earlier directive, said in a post on social media that she agreed the Bondi order had gone too far.
“Let us be clear about what the law requires during a Presidential declared emergency: it requires the mayor of Washington, DC to provide the services of the Metropolitan Police Department for federal purposes at the request of the President. We have followed the law," Bowser wrote on X. "In reference to the U.S. Attorney General’s order, there is no statute that conveys the District’s personnel authority to a federal official,” she added.
In his order on Monday, Trump cited several high-profile violent acts to justify his decision to deploy National Guard troops into the capital and take control of the D.C. police.
Bowser pushed back on Trump's claims of out-of-control crime in Washington, saying statistics show it's substantially dropped. According to federal data released in January, violent crime in the district for 2024 was at its lowest level in more than three decades, and down 35% from the previous year.
The mayor characterized Trump’s moves as "unprecedented" and an “authoritarian push” earlier this week, but conceded he had the authority to issue the order.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt called Trump's order the “first step in stopping the violent crime that has been plaguing the streets of Washington, DC.”
Under the Home Rule Act, Trump has the power to federalize the D.C. police for only 30 days unless Congress approves an extension. He said on Wednesday that he plans to ask Congress for a long-term extension — but that would need support from some Democrats to pass.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
Comments