Chicago Saturday, August 16th, 2025
The Trump administration made a surprise move on Friday, deciding to leave the Washington, D.C. police chief in charge of the department. This comes after a dramatic escalation of the administration’s intervention into the city’s law enforcement the night before. In a sudden reversal, Attorney General Pam Bondi directed the District’s police to cooperate with federal immigration enforcement, regardless of local laws.
The order from Bondi was issued after officials in Washington, D.C. sued to block President Trump’s takeover of the police department. The administration had previously named a federal official as the new emergency head of the department, effectively putting the police force under federal control. However, Bondi’s new directive represents a partial retreat for the Trump administration, which faced intense skepticism from a judge over the legality of its earlier actions.
Despite this reversal, Bondi signaled that the administration will continue to push D.C. leaders to cooperate with federal authorities in pursuing immigrants who are in the country illegally. This move is likely to spark further controversy, as city laws currently limit cooperation between local police and immigration authorities. The ongoing tension between the Trump administration and Washington, D.C. officials is likely to continue in the coming days.
