The Donald Trump administration, stepping up its crackdown on policing in the U.S. capital, has named the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to be Washington's "emergency police commissioner," with all the powers of the police chief — a significant move that the D.C. attorney general said was unlawful.

U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi said in a directive issued Thursday evening that DEA boss Terry Cole will assume "powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia chief of police." The Metropolitan Police Department "must receive approval from Commissioner Cole" before issuing any orders, Bondi said.

D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb, in a memo made public to Pamela Smith, the city's current police chief, responded that the unlawful order could not be followed by the city's force.

"Therefore, members of MPD must continue to follow your orders and not the orders of any official not appointed by the mayor," Schwalb wrote in his memo, setting up a potential legal clash between the heavily Democratic district and the Republican administration.

Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser wrote on social media that "there is no statute that conveys the district's personnel authority to a federal official."

On Friday morning, Schwalb said D.C. had filed suit in federal court to block the move. 

"By illegally declaring a takeover of MPD, the administration is abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law," he posted on social media. "This is the gravest threat to home rule D.C. has ever faced and we are fighting to stop it."

D.C., which is not a state, is granted autonomy through a limited home rule agreement passed in 1973 that can be repealed by Congress. Trump has the authority under the Home Rule Act to take over federal law enforcement for 30 days, as he announced on Monday, before his actions must be reviewed by Congress.

Trump gave mixed messages later in the week as to whether he would seek legislative approval for an extension.

Role of Guard troops appears limited

It was also announced Monday at the White House that 800 National Guard troops would be activated for duty in the city, and FBI Director Kash Patel has confirmed agents are also helping in the new law enforcement blitz.

Trump said the emergency measures were necessary due to out-of-control violent crime rates, but Democrats and municipal officials questioned the timing of the move. While Washington consistently has had one of the highest per capita homicide rates, along with most other major American cities, it saw a significant decline in violent crimes between 2023 and 2024, and the levels of crime are far off the levels seen in the late 1980s and early 1990s, when a crack cocaine epidemic helped fuel violence in the capital. 

WATCH l 'Unprecedented set of actions' for long-standing D.C. issue: analyst: 

What's behind Trump's decision to deploy the National Guard in D.C.?

On Monday, U.S. President Donald Trump announced he'd be deploying 800 National Guard troops to America's capital and taking control of D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department. He cited rampant crime as his reason for doing so, but experts say D.C.'s crime rate has been steadily declining since the end of 2023. What's behind Trump's decision and might he deploy the National Guard in other cities? Manhattan Institute fellow, City Journal editor and The Atlantic contributor Charles Fain Lehman joins Power & Politics to discuss.

On Thursday, National Guard troops watched over some of the world's most renowned landmarks and Humvees took position in front of Washington's busy main train station. 

National Guard Maj. Micah Maxwell said troops will assist law enforcement in a variety of roles, including traffic control posts and crowd control. The Guard members have been trained in de-escalation tactics and crowd control equipment, Maxwell said.

The White House said Thursday that Guard members aren't making arrests but are "protecting federal assets, providing a safe environment for law enforcement officers to make arrests, and deterring violent crime with a visible law enforcement presence."

A Pentagon spokesperson said the Guard was "uniquely qualified for this mission as a community-based force with strong local ties and disciplined training."

Fate of the city's homeless unclear

Trump on Thursday denied that the federal law enforcement officials he sent into Washington's streets to fight crime have been diverted from priority assignments like counterterrorism. Asked if he was concerned about that, Trump said he's using a "very small force" of soldiers and that city police are now allowed to do their job properly amidst his security lockdown.

Trump also emphasized the removal of Washington's homeless population, though it was unclear where the thousands of people would go, and he did not give details at his news conference.

About a dozen homeless residents in Washington packed up their belongings with help from volunteers from charitable groups and sombre staffers from city agencies. Items largely were not forcibly thrown out by law enforcement, but a garbage truck idled nearby.

The departures were voluntary, but advocates for the unhoused expect law enforcement officers to fan out across D.C. in the coming days to forcibly take down any remaining homeless encampments.

On Wednesday night, officers set up a checkpoint in one of D.C.'s popular nightlife areas, drawing protests. The White House said 45 arrests were made Wednesday night, with 29 people arrested for living in the country illegally; other arrests were for distribution or possession of drugs, or carrying a concealed weapon.

Justice Dept. staffer charged, fired

Bondi announced Thursday that a Justice Department employee was charged with hurling a sandwich at a federal law-enforcement official and subsequently fired.

That alleged incident took place on Sunday, hours before Trump's anticipated D.C. takeover announcement.

A video of Sean Charles Dunn berating a group of federal agents late Sunday went viral online. Dunn was arrested on an assault charge after he threw a "sub-style" sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection (CBP) agent, a court filing said.

Around 11 p.m. on Sunday, Dunn approached a group of CBP agents, pointed a finger in an agent's face and swore at him, calling him a "fascist," a police affidavit says. An observer's video captured Dunn throwing a sandwich at the agent's chest, the affidavit says.

Sabrina Shroff, a lawyer who represented Dunn at his initial appearance in federal court on Thursday, declined to comment on the allegations against her client.