Federal authorities have dismantled roughly 75 homeless encampments on public land in Washington, D.C., since President Donald Trump signed his “Safe and Beautiful” executive order earlier this summer, U.S. Park Police figures cited by the New York Post show. Crews have also removed graffiti from about 80 locations around Capitol Hill parks as part of the campaign. The clear-outs form one element of a broader law-and-order push by the White House. Last week Trump assumed temporary control of the District of Columbia’s police department and approved the deployment of 800 National Guard troops to back federal officers patrolling the capital. Homeless-advocacy groups warn the sweeps are displacing vulnerable residents. Al Jazeera quoted one woman who said she was forced to pack up her tent and described the experience as “humiliating.” The Department of Housing and Urban Development counted 5,616 unhoused people in Washington in January, a 14% increase from the prior year.
NEW: 75 homeless camps in Washington, DC, have been cleared since President Trump's 'Safe and Beautiful' executive order, according to The New York Post. 80 graffiti sites have also been cleaned from Capitol Hill Parks. "President Trump signed the order to Make D.C. Safe and https://t.co/872oFwMTXU
IT'S HAPPENING 🚨 Metro Police oversee the clearing of homeless encampments in Wash D.C This makes Democrats very unhappy, which means, something good is taking place in DC https://t.co/63NDezCaWs
The homeless encampments are being removed from DC's streets. https://t.co/Eob0TfiihN