More than 200 arrested in Washington after Trump-ordered federal crackdown on illegal immigrants and gang members

President Donald Trump's security strategy in the capital is already yielding strong results: more than 240 arrested, 38 firearms seized, and dozens of illegal camps dismantled in just a few days, according to a White House official quoted by Fox News.

The operations, which have put gang members, robbery suspects, and immigration law violators behind bars, also netted the arrest of 28 undocumented immigrants in a single day. For the White House, this is a demonstration that the federal approach is capable of dealing with a problem that local authorities failed to contain.

Federal control of police

On August 11, Trump made the unprecedented decision to temporarily federalize the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under the Home Rule Act. The measure, effective for 30 days with the possibility of extension, allowed for the deployment of 800 National Guard troops and more than 1,800 interagency team members in the city's seven police districts.

The president defended the measure by asserting that Washington had become "very unsafe" and that his administration would act quickly to restore order. The decision was backed by his close team: "We have seen a record number of violent offenders, bad guys, gang members and all kinds of threats to public safety removed off the streets as well as their illegal weapons that they've been using to terrorize the citizens of this city," said Stephen Miller, deputy chief of staff for policy.