The United States President, Donald Trump, will be joining an evening patrol in the nation’s capital, Washington, as federal authorities continue to enforce heightened security measures, including deploying checkpoints across the city and sometimes questioning people about their immigration status after stopping them.
This move comes amid a broader federal crackdown that has escalated tensions in Washington. Over the past two weeks, federal agents and hundreds of National Guard troops have surged into the city, leaving some residents anxious and fueling confrontations in the streets.
Trump’s personal presence during the ongoing operation would mark the latest show of force from the White House in what has become a highly controversial intervention.
“I’m going to be going out tonight with the police and with the military,” the Republican president said in an interview with conservative commentator Todd Starnes.
Earlier on Wednesday, Vice President JD Vance and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also visited some of the deployed troops at Union Station, where they were met by protestors chanting “Free D.C.,” highlighting the growing divide between federal actions and local sentiment.
Although Washington has long struggled with crime, available statistics indicate that crime rates were on the decline before Trump declared the situation a crisis requiring federal intervention.
Despite the data, the administration has pressed ahead with its security push, with immigration enforcement becoming a central pillar of the campaign.
This focus has unsettled many neighborhoods, particularly immigrant communities. In one instance, a daycare partially closed on Thursday after staff members, alarmed by reports of nearby federal agents, became too afraid to come to work.
The administrator urged parents to keep their children at home if possible. Similar concerns have led other daycare centers to suspend routine outdoor activities, such as daily walks, out of fear of encountering law enforcement.
Since August 7, when the deployment of federal agents began, the White House reports that 630 arrests have been made, including 251 individuals alleged to be in the country illegally.
In a further escalation, the Republican president seized control of the D.C. Police Department on August 11 and ordered an influx of additional National Guard troops, largely drawn from Republican-led states.
The military presence has since become a visible fixture across downtown Washington, with soldiers stationed at national monuments and transit hubs, including those along the National Mall.
While the administration insists these tactics are legal and necessary for national security, critics have raised concerns about the legality of the checkpoints and the scope of federal authority within the city.
The Supreme Court has upheld the use of checkpoints for specific purposes, such as border security and identifying intoxicated drivers, but has placed limits on their broader use. Legal experts warn that employing checkpoints as a tool for general crime control may violate constitutional protections.
Jeffrey Bellin, a former prosecutor in Washington and professor at Vanderbilt Law School, noted that while some checkpoint practices are permitted, the Constitution does not allow for indefinite or generalized stops without specific justification.
“The government can’t constantly be checking us and stopping to see if we’re up to any criminal activity,” Bellin said.
He emphasized that checkpoints justified for one legal reason, such as verifying driver’s licenses, cannot be used as a pretext for broader enforcement actions. While courts have upheld the use of immigration checks near borders, Bellin said it’s unlikely that such authority would legally extend to Washington, D.C., a city far removed from any international boundary.
