The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) Chief, Pamela Smith, made headlines on Thursday by issuing an executive order that significantly alters how traffic stops are handled regarding undocumented immigrants. According to a report by NBC Washington, this new directive allows officers to inform federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents about undocumented immigrants encountered during traffic stops.
This executive order represents a marked departure from the MPD's previous policy, which aimed to limit the cooperation between local law enforcement and federal immigration authorities. Under the new guidelines, immigrants who have not been detained or charged with a crime may be reported to ICE, potentially leading to their arrest and deportation.
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has maintained that her city does not operate as a sanctuary city, emphasizing that local law enforcement has cooperated with ICE in the past. However, D.C. does possess several pro-immigration policies, such as allowing noncitizens to vote in local elections and implementing measures that limit collaboration with federal immigration agencies.
As of now, representatives from Bowser's office, the D.C. police, and ICE have not provided immediate comments regarding the new executive order. Speaking to reporters at the White House, President Donald Trump expressed his approval of the MPD's decision, calling it a "great step." He stated, "When they stop people, they find they’re illegal, they report them, they give them to us, etc. That’s a very positive thing." Trump also suggested that such measures could be adopted nationwide to help in the fight against crime.
In a related move, President Trump recently federalized D.C.'s police department and deployed 800 National Guard troops to enhance crime control in the district, despite the fact that crime rates are at their lowest in decades. U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi asserted, "Let me be crystal clear: Crime in D.C. is ending and ending today," further emphasizing the administration's commitment to addressing crime through federal oversight.
Part of Trump's strategy includes mobilizing federal law enforcement officers, including those from ICE, to patrol the streets of Washington alongside MPD officers. Although some of ICE's activities this week have consisted of routine police tasks unrelated to immigration enforcement, officers conducted a targeted operation on Tuesday, which resulted in the arrest of immigrants in a Home Depot parking lot.
Since President Trump began his second term in January, his administration has prioritized the mass deportation of undocumented immigrants, a promise that has remained central to his campaign agenda. The implications of the new executive order from the MPD, along with increased federal presence in D.C., suggest a significant shift in the local approach to immigration enforcement.
