Attorney General Pam Bondi on Thursday issued an order rescinding illegal immigration protections in Washington, D.C., and appointing Drug Enforcement Administration Administrator Terry Cole as the Metropolitan Police Department’s “emergency police commissioner.”
Bondi’s two-page directive, titled “Restoring Safety and Security to the District of Columbia,” reverses sanctuary city policies in the nation’s capital.
The order eliminates restrictions on how Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) officers may interact with illegal immigrants and overrides recent directives issued by MPD leadership.
The order specifically rescinds three immigration-related policies from the past two years, including an executive order signed earlier Thursday by MPD Chief Pamela Smith.
That order limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities, prohibited inquiries into immigration status for certain cases, and restricted arrests based solely on federal immigration warrants.
Bondi’s order reversed those limits within hours. “To the extent that provisions in this order conflict with any existing MPD directives, those directives are hereby rescinded,” she wrote.
DEA Administrator Granted Full Authority
Under the order, Cole assumes all powers and duties of the police chief.
He can issue general orders, executive orders, and written directives for the department, while existing MPD leadership must secure his approval for their directives.
The move significantly reduces the authority of Chief Smith, transferring decision-making power on policing strategy, operations, and policy to the newly appointed commissioner.
Linked to Federal Crime Emergency
Bondi’s action follows President Donald Trump’s executive order on Monday declaring a crime emergency in Washington, D.C., and initiating a federal takeover of the police department.
Since the declaration, federal law enforcement and National Guard units have been deployed throughout the city.
On Wednesday night, authorities arrested 45 individuals, including 29 illegal immigrants, as part of the crime crackdown.
Bondi framed the action as necessary for restoring public safety.
“Residents of the District of Columbia, the thousands of Americans who commute into the District for work every day, and the millions of tourists from all over the world who visit our nation’s capital have a right to feel safe and to be free from the scourge of violent crime,” she stated.
