By Brian Lonergan
FAIR
Originally published at Chronicles
Activists and politicians are enjoying wide media coverage for protesting President Donald Trump’s takeover of the Washington, D.C., Metropolitan Police Department (MPD). Despite the naysaying, some benefits are already coming to light. Namely, the 30-day federal control has halted Washington’s status as a “sanctuary city” that protects illegal alien criminals from immigration consequences.
In addition to other changes to D.C.’s policing rules, Attorney General Pam Bondi issued a directive that increased MPD cooperation with federal immigration agents. This should go a long way toward addressing the city’s self-inflicted wounds that its leaders have refused to confront.
Sanctuary policies restricting cooperation with federal immigration authorities have made D.C. a magnet for illegal aliens, including those with criminal records. While it is difficult to pin down precise numbers due to the clandestine nature of illegal migration, estimates suggest Washington is home to about 25,000 illegal aliens, a significant portion of the city’s roughly 700,000 residents. Bondi’s directive to rescind restrictions on MPD officers—such as bans on immigration status inquiries and prohibitions on honoring Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) detainers—helps ensure that local law enforcement can now work with federal agencies to ensure that foreign-born predators can no longer hide out in D.C. without consequences.
D.C.’s practice of harboring criminal aliens goes against time-tested, universal principles for maintaining safe communities. Sanctuary policies, which violate the Immigration and Nationality Act, create an environment where criminal activity by illegal aliens is overlooked, if not deliberately ignored. By prohibiting police from inquiring about immigration status or complying with ICE detainers, these policies effectively shield criminal offenders from deportation, leaving foreign bad guys on American streets.
If Trump and Bondi are successful in the D.C. federalization, it will serve to expose the lie that cities are condemned to the overcrowding, crime, and squalor that come with sanctuary laws.
In the nation’s capital, the impact of federalization is tangible. On a single night in August following the establishment of federal control of law enforcement, authorities arrested 29 illegal aliens during a crackdown, part of a broader sweep yielding 189 arrests, including homicide suspects, drug traffickers, and illegal gun offenders. These figures are just a fraction of the criminal element hiding among the illegal alien population. By limiting cooperation with ICE, D.C.’s elected leaders have allowed dangerous individuals to remain on the streets, a threat to residents and visitors alike. Mayor Muriel Bowser and the city council can bemoan Trump’s actions all they want, but residents of D.C. are already safer with threats to the community in custody who would otherwise be free to prey on innocents.
Compounding the city’s problems, Washington also allows noncitizens—including illegal aliens—to vote in local elections, a policy enacted in 2023. This dilutes the voting power of U.S. citizens, granting influence over city governance to people who lack legal standing in the United States. In a city where elections often hinge on slim margins, the inclusion of noncitizen votes undermines the democratic process, prioritizing the interests of those who have bypassed federal immigration laws over those of law-abiding citizens.
The detrimental effects of sanctuary policies extend far beyond D.C. In New York City, ICE issued 6,025 detainer requests since Jan. 20, 2025, reflecting a more than 400 percent spike in enforcement actions due to the city’s refusal to cooperate with federal authorities. This has led to overcrowded jails and strained public services, with billions in taxpayer dollars diverted to support housing, healthcare, and education for illegal migrants.
The financial toll of sanctuary policies is staggering. New York City alone has spent over $5 billion since 2022 on migrant-related services, while Chicago’s budget for similar programs exceeds $1 billion annually. These funds, drawn from taxpayer coffers, could have addressed pressing needs like infrastructure, homelessness, or public safety. D.C.’s smaller scale does not exempt it from similar risks. Bondi’s directive to enforce federal immigration law bends D.C. toward more responsible government, preserving resources for legal residents.
Attorney General Bondi’s moves to dismantle D.C.’s sanctuary policies are a necessary correction to years of misguided governance. If Trump and Bondi are successful in the D.C. federalization, it will serve to expose the lie that cities are condemned to the overcrowding, crime, and squalor that come with sanctuary laws. It doesn’t have to be that way. Cities that prioritize citizens’ rights, cleanliness, and order make a choice to be that way. Failure is also a choice, one that big city leaders need to stop making or get out of the way.
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