Police officers may now notify immigration agents during traffic stops and help transport illegal immigrants in custody to federal facilities.
The Washington Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) will now allow limited cooperation with federal immigration authorities as the department comes under temporary federal control.
In an order issued Thursday, Chief of Police Pamela Smith said MPD officers may share information with federal immigration enforcement agencies about individuals who are not in police custody, including during traffic stops, and may provide transportation for immigration agents and their detainees.
However, the order reaffirms existing polices barring police officers from sharing with federal immigration agents any information about those in MPD custody, including their release dates, locations, addresses, personal details, photographs, or criminal case information.
It also maintains that immigration agents may not question people in MPD custody, and that the department will not hold individuals beyond their lawful release time, even if requested by immigration authorities.
The order further instructs officers not to arrest people solely because they are flagged by immigration authorities, unless there is an outstanding warrant or underlying offense that justifies arrest. Officers are likewise barred from searching databases solely to check someone’s immigration status or investigate civil immigration violations.
Both U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) said that their personnel are already patrolling the nation’s capital.
ICE on Thursday shared a video showing agents interacting with homeless people and drivers during traffic stops, while CBP senior adviser Ron Vitiello said in an interview that about 30 CBP employees are currently deployed in Washington.
ICE Homeland Security Investigations special agents are on the ground in Washington, D.C., with our partners, as promised.
— U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (@ICEgov) August 14, 2025
Together, we’ll bring the rule of law back to our nation’s treasured capital city. pic.twitter.com/NckXepmZg4
“We’re happy to participate,” Vitiello said.
The changes follow President Donald Trump’s decision to place the MPD under federal control and send in 800 National Guard troops throughout the city to support law enforcement efforts, citing what he called record-high levels of violent crime, including carjackings and homicides.
“Our capital city has been overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs, and homeless people,” the president said on Monday. “And we’re not going to let it happen anymore.”
The White House posted graphics showing a 2024 homicide rate of 27.54 per 100,000—worse than those of Mexico City and Bogotá, Colombia, both notorious for entrenched gang violence.
<MAKE D.C. SAFE AGAIN! pic.twitter.com/q45fgZR36E
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 11, 2025
By Bill Pan
