The U.S. capital has taken on the look and feel of a city under siege. In just over a week, more than 450 people have been arrested under President Donald Trump’s sweeping public safety emergency order, which has flooded Washington with National Guard troops, FBI agents, and armored vehicles.

Attorney General Pamela Bondi, who is overseeing the crackdown, announced on Tuesday that 52 arrests were made on Monday night alone, including the detention of an alleged MS-13 gang member. Nine firearms were seized in the overnight operation.

“Since our mission began, there have been 465 arrests in total and 68 weapons recovered,” Bondi said in a post on X. “At the direction of @POTUS, our nation’s capital is a SAFER place — and we are just getting started.”

The crackdown has introduced a dramatic new reality for residents and visitors in Washington. Armored military vehicles are stationed near iconic monuments, traffic stops have become frequent along the city’s nightlife corridors, and National Park Service helicopters circle overhead late into the night.

Officials said that eventually 800 National Guard troops will be deployed across the city, backed by 500 federal law enforcement officers, including FBI tactical teams. FBI Director Kash Patel confirmed that the bureau was responsible for 21 arrests on Monday night, adding that several drug seizures were also carried out.

The administration has also cleared multiple homeless encampments, arguing that they pose “security risks” and contribute to criminal activity. Critics, however, see this as criminalizing poverty.

Since returning to office, President Trump has repeatedly claimed that Washington is “overrun by violent crime.” He has accused local officials of failing to control the city and insisted that federal intervention is necessary.

The president has made similar moves elsewhere: National Guard troops were dispatched to Los Angeles earlier this year to quell protests sparked by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) deportation raids.

Yet official statistics tell a more complicated story. According to police data, crime in Washington has dropped to a 30-year low, following a spike in 2023. Independent analysts say Trump’s depiction of the capital as a lawless city is exaggerated. Still, the White House maintains that official data is being “manipulated.”

The aggressive measures have set off a political storm. Democrats in Congress last week introduced a joint resolution denouncing the crackdown, describing it as “an egregious attack on DC home rule and local democracy.”

For decades, Washington has wrestled with its unique status — a city without statehood, subject to congressional oversight and vulnerable to federal intervention. The current standoff has reignited debate over whether the District should be granted greater autonomy or full statehood to protect its governance from presidential overreach.

In a small but significant legal victory for the city, the White House agreed to keep the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under the authority of Chief Pamela Smith, rather than shifting control to federal agencies. Still, the balance of power between local and federal forces remains in flux.

Civil rights organizations have voiced alarm over the militarization of Washington. The American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) warned that Trump’s tactics set a dangerous precedent.

“Deploying the National Guard and federal agents against civilians, combined with mass arrests and encampment clearances, is not public safety — it’s political theater at the expense of constitutional rights,” said an ACLU statement.

Local community leaders have also criticized the targeting of vulnerable groups. “Instead of addressing root causes of crime, like poverty, housing, and education, the administration is opting for intimidation,” said one DC activist.

For many Washingtonians, the atmosphere is tense and unsettling. Popular nightlife districts are subject to surprise police checkpoints. Families visiting the National Mall pass by Humvees and heavily armed guards. Tourists pause to take photos of armored vehicles parked near landmarks.

Supporters of the crackdown argue that the measures are restoring order and deterring crime. Opponents counter that they are eroding civil liberties and politicizing law enforcement in the heart of American democracy.

As the confrontation intensifies, one fact is clear: Washington, DC, has become a testing ground for Trump’s law-and-order agenda — and a symbolic battlefield over the limits of presidential power. (ILKHA)