Washington, D.C.’s Mayor and its Attorney General have strongly countered a move by Attorney General Pam Bondi to establish an “emergency police commissioner” in the nation’s capital.
The directive, issued Thursday evening by Bondi, names DEA boss Terry Cole to assume the “powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police.” Bondi further stipulates that any orders from the Metropolitan Police Department “must receive approval from Commissioner Cole.”
Reacting to this directive, both Mayor Muriel Bowser and D.C. Attorney General Karl Racine expressed strong opposition. “Let us be clear about what the law requires during a presidentially 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,” Bowser states on her social media, adding, “We have followed the law.”
Schwalb declared Bondi’s move illegal. In a legal opinion addressed to D.C. Police Chief Pamela Smith, Schwalb wrote, “It is my opinion that the Bondi order is unlawful, and that you are not legally obligated to follow it.” He further clarified that while the president can direct the mayor to provide police department services in an emergency, the law does not permit the president to “alter the chain of command,” to “rescind or suspend” orders, or to “otherwise determine how the District pursues purely local law enforcement.”
Bondi’s order also rescinded Washington policies that restrict local police from aiding in immigration enforcement, as reported by The New York Times. This follows an earlier directive from Smith, which loosened restrictions on local police officers discussing the immigration status of individuals they stop with federal agents, while also reaffirming the city’s sanctuary policy, which prohibits police from pursuing immigration cases.
Earlier this week, President Trump placed Washington’s police department under federal control and ordered the National Guard to deploy to the capital to address what he calls a wave of lawlessness. The situation continues to unfold, and the full implications remain to be seen.