Trump’s DC Homeless Crackdown Leaves Residents on the Run

In Washington, DC, homeless residents are increasingly being forced out of encampments and into hiding after President Donald Trump’s administration launched a surge targeting homelessness in the capital.

According to the White House, more than 50 encampments have been cleared since early August by federal multi-agency teams. But advocates say that while law enforcement has been deployed to remove people, the administration has not followed through on pledges to provide shelter or mental health support.

Longtime DC resident Jeff Padgett, who has lived unhoused for about eight years, now avoids the city at night, crossing into Virginia with his belongings and two chihuahuas. “I don’t stay in the district anymore,” Padgett said. “I’m hauling my stuff around because I’m afraid it’s going to be taken, thrown in the trash, discarded. It’s kind of the way I’m feeling, like I’m trash.”

Advocates describe a community on edge. “There’s fear and anxiety and anger around it, but mostly it’s disruptive,” said Andy Wassenich, policy director at Miriam’s Kitchen. Claire Wilson, executive director of the Georgetown Ministry Center, added, “It’s disruptive to receiving services. People feel like they don’t have a place to go.”

Many are hiding in wooded areas or riding buses overnight, exhausted and constantly on the move. Shelter beds have been offered by the city, not the federal government, with Mayor Muriel Bowser’s office confirming more than 100 additional beds have been added.

Homeless service providers say telling clients to remain invisible or constantly move is an “incredibly painful” reality. They emphasize that shelters are not always safe or suitable for everyone, especially those with past negative experiences.

Advocates warn that the sweeps risk pushing people further out of reach of services. Wassenich noted his teams have lost contact with at least 25 clients since the surge began, raising concerns about missed medications and critical care.

The District’s most recent count found 764 individuals still living unsheltered. Advocates stress that without long-term housing and mental health solutions, federal crackdowns only worsen the crisis.

Credit: CNN Newsource

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