Anacostia and other parts of Washington, D.C., are under occupation by the National Guard, FBI, ICE, and other federal law enforcement agencies.. This crackdown on crime and homelessness was a Trump proclamation, which alienated the S.E. Community
Sixth District Police Commander Jaron Hickman has had concerns that the federal troop surge is trashing community relationships that existed for a century.
Police Commander Hickman stated, “What relationships do we have to repair once this surge is over? I’m prepared to do that. I’m prepared to have those long, tough conversations. But I know it’s going to be tough.” Many residents and community organizers view the deployment not as a public safety measure.”
Hundreds of National Guard troops and federal agents have sparked defiance and protests from residents who are demanding the forces be removed from their communities.
Samantha Davis, founder of the Black Swan Academy, a group that works with Black youth, has said, “This is not about crime; this is about control. This is not about public safety; this is about power.” This sentiment is echoed by others who point out that the federal takeover came despite city data showing that crime was already falling and at a 30-year low.
July 28, 1932, during the Bonus Army incident of General Douglas MacArthur, U.S. Army troops, using tanks and bayonets, forcibly removed the WWI veterans and their families from their camps in Washington, D.C.