A federal judge on Friday forced the Justice Department to back away from President Donald Trump’s move to oust Washington, D.C.’s police chief, ruling that Pamela A. Smith will remain in command of the 3,100-member Metropolitan Police Department.
The clash erupted after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued an unprecedented order naming Drug Enforcement Administration chief Terry Cole as head of D.C. police and rescinding the city’s limits on cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
District officials, led by Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb, immediately branded the move unlawful and vowed not to comply.
U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes said she would issue a restraining order if Bondi’s directive was not amended by Friday evening. Justice Department attorneys agreed to revise the order, confirming that Cole could only request services from the police — through the mayor — rather than seize command.
But the judge left unresolved the explosive question of whether Trump can direct D.C. officers to enforce immigration laws. That issue is expected to be decided next week.
Schwalb has filed suit, calling the administration’s actions “a hostile takeover of MPD” and “the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced.”
Smith warned in court filings that stripping her authority as police chief would “endanger the safety of the public and law enforcement officers alike.”
Bondi, however, defended her order, telling Fox News that D.C. “will not remain a sanctuary city” and must fully cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement.
The battle highlights the extraordinary — and largely untested — power the federal government retains over the nation’s capital, where Trump has already deployed National Guard troops and expanded federal law enforcement patrols.
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