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David Coy, editor@sfbar.org, 510-333-7249
Nation of Laws Coalition Condemns Executive Overreach in Federalization of DC Police
August 12, 2025
The Nation of Laws Coalition condemns the President’s unprecedented decision to seize control of Washington, D.C.’s Metropolitan Police Department. This act strikes at the heart of democratic self-governance and undermines the constitutional principles that protect us all.
The administration’s public claim that police can now “do whatever they want,” paired with the announcement that other cities like Los Angeles or Chicago could be next, signals a grave shift toward unchecked federal overreach—one that could reach any community in the United States. Americans should be alarmed not just because this is an attack on local self-governance, but because it sets a precedent for targeting entire communities based on political agendas.
“This is a watershed moment for our democracy. When a president can seize control of a city’s police force—despite no emergency and no consent from the community—it’s not just Washington, D.C. that’s at risk. It’s every city in America. The rule of law depends on limits to executive power, and if we allow those limits to erode here, we open the door to political control of local law enforcement everywhere. That is not freedom. That is not democracy.”
“The federalization of the DC police, without any justification whatsoever, is but the latest bone-chilling, despotic act by a lawless president, empowered by an equally lawless Supreme Court. Sound the alarms - it’s time that we who cherish the rule of law - and our freedoms - stand up and say, with one voice, ‘No!’ to autocracy.”
“Our country is a nation of laws, not of personal power or political whims. The President’s seizure of the D.C. police crashes the guardrails of federalism and local accountability. This is a further step towards a system where law enforcement can be used politically. As lawyers and stewards of the Constitution, we have a duty to call this what it is: a dangerous act that threatens the foundation of our democratic republic.”
“It is a grave time for the rule of law, and our Black, Brown, and immigrant communities have been the most impacted. As Trump has illegally deprived Washington, D.C. of its police powers, Chocolate City, which has been historically disenfranchised in its right to representation, lacks the tools of other states to combat this seizure of power. This is another step that Trump has taken to dismantle our democratic system, which is also being used to threaten cities like Los Angeles. Here in L.A., we continue to experience militarized ICE raids that lack due process, while also facing the risk of the redeployment of the military for Trump’s upcoming Olympics. We must unite as political leaders and lawyers to call out these injustices, use any resources at our disposal to support these communities, and oppose the seizing of political power.”
“According to the FBI, violent crime decreased by 4.5% in 2024 – in every category. Rather than acknowledge the success of his predecessor, and law enforcement efforts throughout the country, the current administration appears to be looking for any opportunity to seize control of both the narrative and our communities. In seizing control of law enforcement in our nation’s capital, I fear he may be paving the way for more extreme measures of executive overreach, threatening core tenets of American democracy in favor of his insatiable thirst for power.”
“This maneuver to federalize DC police tramples on democratic principles and disregards the will of a community with a right to self-governance. This authoritarian power grab is an unproductive provocation, considering DC’s crime rates are at a 30-year low. This act of contempt for local autonomy targets a diverse population that is over 40% Black and does not want it. Furthermore, it will disproportionately harm the district’s unhoused residents, who are often criminalized for their circumstances. The NACDL will fiercely defend the rights of all people against this erosion of due process and the weaponization of law enforcement.
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“The federal assault on local autonomy in Washington D.C. is a stark reminder that liberty is not lost all at once—it’s dismantled piece by piece. This is the latest in a troubling pattern of expanding executive power without concern for civil liberties, the rule of law, or the consent of the governed. The Equal Freedom Institute calls on patriotic Americans from both parties to rise to the moment and protect liberal democracy for the next generation.”
“It is hard to imagine a greater threat to the rule of law than the deployment of our nation’s military, in our capital, to provide normal law enforcement activities. While Section 740 of the DC Home Rule Act allows the President to assume control of Washington’s police department in the event of an “emergency” (for a period up to 30 days; not forever). There is no “emergency” here. According to the August 11, 2025 edition of the New York Times, the Metropolitan Police Department reports that the violent crime rate in D.C. fell 35% between 2023 and 2024, and the reported incidents are even further down in 2025. Specifically, homicides were down 32%, robberies were down 39%, carjackings were down 53% and assaults with a dangerous weapon were down 27% in that time frame. “Trump Expected to Formally Announce Plan to Take Over Washington D.C.,” upi.com (August 10, 2025). Given these statistics, the Executive Order here appears to be based on mere pretext.”
The Nation of Laws Coalition is a non-partisan alliance of legal organizations and advocates dedicated to upholding the rule of law, judicial independence, and the independence of the legal profession.