United States President Donald Trump ordered on Sunday that homeless people leave Washington, “immediately,” promising to offer them shelter “far from the capital” and harden the repression against criminals and put them in prison, “where they belong.”
The statement he made by posting on the Truth Social platform was accompanied by images of camps and trash spread across the streets. The president called for this Monday (11) a press conference to detail his plan to “make the city safer and more beautiful than ever.”
Since returning to power in January, Trump has threatened to put Washington, who has a special self -government status under federal control. The measure would require Congress approval, as the presidential jurisdiction is limited to federal areas and buildings. The White House did not clarify which legal authority could be used to execute forced withdrawal from homeless people.
Data from the Community Partnership organization point out that, on average, 3,782 people live homeless per night in the capital, of which about 800 actually sleep on the streets. The Housing Department annual report showed that in 2024 Washington ranked 15th among major American cities in the absolute number of homeless people.
Mayor Muriel Bowser reacted to Trump’s statements, denying that the city live a wave of crime. According to her, violent crimes fell 26% in the first seven months of 2025 compared to the same period of the previous year, while general crime was a reduction of 7%.
Proportionally, Washington is more violent than Rio de Janeiro
In 2024, the rate of violent crimes was the lowest in 30 years. Even so, federal statistics indicate that Washington remains at the top of the national ranking when considering the global rate of violent crimes: 1,151 cases per 100,000 inhabitants were in 2023, the highest between states and US territories, and 4,307 crimes against equity on the same comparison base.
In the international context, contrast with Brazilian cities draws attention. According to Atlas of Violence of 2024, Rio de Janeiro registered homicide rate of 55.5 per 100,000 inhabitants – far above Washington in this specific item. However, when considering all violent crimes, the American capital has proportional numbers higher than those of the state capital, configuring a broader insecurity scenario.
In recent months, Trump had already ordered 450 federal agents to Washington after an advisor to his government was the target of an attack. The measure was seen as part of a broader offensive to reinforce security and recover control of the narrative over the capital, which the president accuses of decay and disorder.
