The White House has begun forcibly clearing homeless encampments across Washington, D.C., under a federal crime-reduction initiative ordered by President Donald Trump. Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, press secretary Karoline Leavitt said people living outdoors will be offered space in shelters and access to addiction or mental-health services. Those refusing “will be susceptible to fines or to jail time,” she said, citing long-standing D.C. statutes — DC Code §22-1307 and Municipal Regulation 24-100 — that have rarely been enforced. Leavitt added that U.S. Park Police have already removed about 70 encampments and plan to eliminate the last two on federal parkland this week. City workers dismantled tents near the Kennedy Center and other high-visibility sites after giving occupants as little as 24 hours’ notice to collect belongings. The homeless sweeps are unfolding alongside a broader federal takeover of public-safety operations in the capital. Trump has assumed temporary control of the Metropolitan Police Department, deployed roughly 800 National Guard troops and assigned some 500 federal agents to joint patrols and traffic checkpoints. The administration says the surge will last at least 30 days and aims to make the city “essentially crime-free,” though local officials note that violent-crime rates have been falling. Civil-rights advocates and housing groups warn that criminal penalties could push vulnerable residents further from services, while demonstrations have erupted at police checkpoints. City officials say additional shelter beds are available, but advocates contend capacity remains insufficient for hundreds of people living outdoors.