US President Donald Trump will declare a national emergency and federalize the capital, Washington, D.C., Reuters reports, News.bg reports.
The move came after Mayor Muriel Bowser said that local police would not cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. The dispute is over the provision of information on individuals living or entering the United States illegally. Trump's threat has been seen by critics as a potential overreach of federal authority.
Protests and military measures
Several thousand protesters took to the streets this month over the deployment of National Guard troops to the capital in August. Trump then justified the actions as "restoring law, order and public safety," calling the high crime rate "a disgrace to the city."
“In just a few weeks. ‘The place’ is completely thriving for the first time in decades, with virtually no crime,“ Trump announced on his Truth Social network.
He accused “radical left Democrats“ of pressuring Bowser to inform the federal government about the lack of cooperation of local police.
National Guard in action
The National Guard serves as a militia that is usually subordinate to the governors of the 50 states, except when called to federal service. The Washington National Guard reports directly to the president.