CREW sues for DC takeover records

CREW is suing twelve federal agencies, including the Department of Defense, Department of Justice, Department of Homeland Security and Federal Bureau of Investigation, for failing to produce records on an expedited basis in response to CREW’s FOIA requests about President Trump’s federal takeover of Washington, D.C. 

Following Trump’s declaration of a crime emergency in D.C. in August, his administration federalized the Metropolitan Police Department, activated the National Guard and mobilized law enforcement from twelve federal agencies to patrol the city. For months, uniformed troops and federal officials have been deployed throughout the city with very little transparency concerning their activities. The National Guard deployment has been extended through at least February 2026 while federal officials appear to be deployed indefinitely, given D.C.’s cooperation with them.

In D.C., law enforcement have already arrested nearly 1,400 immigrants for alleged civil violations of federal immigration law, which accounts for 40% of all the arrests made in the city’s crime crackdown. There have also been numerous reports of illegal arrests, adding to ICE’s track record of wrongfully detaining U.S. citizens, as it has reportedly detained over 170 citizens including nearly 20 children across the country this year alone.

CREW’s requested records aim to establish the cost of the takeover, determine how the reassignment of federal law enforcement officers affects agency priorities and shed light on what, if any, training was provided to officers who participated in the takeover. The American public, especially D.C. residents, urgently need answers on how the government is using their taxpayer money, especially in light of the economic hardships brought on by the current shutdown of the government.

To that end, the court should order the federal agencies to expeditiously and fully process CREW’s FOIA requests and disclose all responsive records so that the public can have transparency into this aggressive imposition of federal power.