Federal Agents Destroy Encampments in D.C. as Trump Signals Plans to Expand Sweeps to Cities Nationwide
Advocates are pushing back against President Donald Trump’s actions to clear homeless encampments from the nation’s capital.
On Monday, Trump issued a statement on Truth Social where he threatened people who are homeless in Washington, D.C., that they need to “move out immediately” or face arrest and institutionalization.
“We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital,” the post reads in part. “The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong.”
A day later, Trump deployed more than 1,000 federal troops to D.C. The administration has said the effort is meant to address local crime, although several experts are skeptical of this claim. Instead, they suggest Trump is trying to make Americans used to seeing military troops and police officers working together as part of his administration’s authoritarian push.
Advocates say encampment clearings are imminent and worry that Trump’s moves to clear the camps swiftly will result in several people being imprisoned. More than 900 people are experiencing unsheltered homelessness in D.C., and advocates say there are not enough shelter beds to accommodate them.
“Making it a crime to be homeless does nothing to solve homelessness, wastes money, and strips homeless D.C. residents of their rights and dignity,” advocates with the National Homelessness Law Center, the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless, and Miriam’s Kitchen, said in a joint statement.
“This announcement comes on the heels of President Trump’s recent order on homelessness, which paves the way for increased arrests, ticketing, forced detention, segregation, and institutionalization of people who are homeless, sick, or disabled,” they continued.
Federal Troops Deployed Amid Rising Homelessness Nationwide
The efforts to clear D.C. encampments are happening at a time when homelessness is increasing across the country. Federal data shows that more than 771,000 people experienced homelessness in 2024, an 18% increase from the previous year. The two fastest-growing subpopulations of homeless people are senior citizens and families with children, which speaks to the devastating impacts that America’s lack of affordable housing is having on vulnerable households.
At the same time, cities are responding to the crisis by passing laws that criminalize acts associated with homelessness, such as eating, sleeping, or lying down in public. According to data from the National Homelessness Law Center, more than 300 cities across the country have passed new laws criminalizing homelessness over the last year.
Those laws were inspired by a Supreme Court decision in Grants Pass v. Johnson from June 2024. The decision said arresting or fining homeless people for living outside when no other shelter options are available is not considered cruel and unusual punishment, which is prohibited under the Eighth Amendment of the Constitution.
Some people experiencing homelessness in D.C. have expressed frustration with Trump’s move. Henry Johnson, a vendor for the D.C.-based street paper Street Sense, told Mother Jones that Trump’s order lumps together people trying to survive and violent criminals.
“Keep the violent people away,” Johnson told the outlet.
“But don’t throw the baby out with the bathwater,” he continued. “Deal with the ones who are dangerous. Let everybody else be.”
An unhoused woman named G told Street Sense that there is a cruel irony behind Trump’s move.
“He’s much more of a criminal than I am,” G told Street Sense.
Escalation in D.C.: Police and Federal Agencies Conduct Sweeps
For several days, officers from the FBI, Secret Service, Homeland Security, and D.C.’s Metropolitan Police patrolled areas near the White House where unhoused residents live. By Friday morning, that presence escalated into full-scale sweeps, with officers destroying tents and personal belongings across multiple encampments. Although the city has opened hundreds of emergency shelter beds without federal support, advocates warn the supply still falls far short of the need.
“The past 24 hours have been chaos,” said Jesse Rabinowitz of the National Homelessness Law Center, who witnessed the sweeps. “Today’s actions are inhumane, a staggering waste of taxpayer dollars, and do nothing to solve homelessness. If Donald Trump really wanted to help people, he would use his power to lower rents and help people make ends meet. Instead, taxpayers are spending over $400,000 a day for photo ops.”
Advocates also note that the administration has signaled plans to expand these efforts to other major cities, including New York, Chicago, and Baltimore.
Encampment Sweeps Hurt, Not Help: What the Research Shows
Decades of research show that clearing encampments is dangerous, traumatizing, and a waste of money. For instance, a study from the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Center found that clearing encampments can increase overdose rates for people with substance misuse challenges because of the trauma the practice inflicts.
Another study found that encampment clearings do not reduce local crime rates. A study by the Urban Institute found that cities waste millions of taxpayer dollars every year to continue the practice despite a lack of evidence that it reduces homelessness.
“People sleep outside in D.C. for the same reason people sleep outside across America—rents are too damn high,” Rabinowitz said, noting that Trump’s policies make housing even more unaffordable.
There are also legal implications for clearing encampments, said Amber Harding, executive director of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless.
“People without homes have the same legal and constitutional rights as anyone else in this country—to be free from unlawful search and seizure, to have due process, to have the right to travel, and the right to choose which jurisdiction to live in,” Harding said. “Arresting people for no reason other than the fact that they have no home is inhumane and unjust.”
“The solution to homelessness is always housing first, with supportive services when necessary,” Dana White, director of advocacy at Miriam’s Kitchen, said in a statement. “Fines, arrests, and encampment evictions make homelessness worse, further traumatize our homeless neighbors while disconnecting them from community and support.”
Will We Choose Compassion or Continue Failed Policies?
President Trump’s efforts to clear homeless encampments from D.C. are cruel and unjust. And the danger is not limited to Washington, D.C. Trump has already signaled his intent to expand these operations to other cities, raising the stakes nationwide. While the president rages about crime, he forgets that there are innocent human beings who are just trying to survive and will be impacted by the clearings.
Criminalization is not the answer to this issue. It never has been and never will be. Cities across the country have shown that progress is possible when communities invest in housing, outreach, and compassionate engagement. Their success stories offer a roadmap: fund affordable housing, strengthen service networks, and prioritize human dignity over criminalization.
The question now is whether other cities will follow their lead. The choice is ours—to keep repeating the failed cycle of sweeps and displacement or to invest in real, lasting solutions. The time to act is now. Stand with our vulnerable neighbors, support Housing First policies, and demand that our leaders expand programs that work. Ending unsheltered homelessness isn’t just possible—it’s within reach. Contact your representatives and urge them to take meaningful action to address homelessness.