Why the National Park Service Is Leading Trump’s Homeless Sweeps in DC
Also today: A US judge orders Alligator Alcatraz to wind down operations, and revisit our guide to homelessness in America.
US Park Police remove a homeless individual from the steps of the Smithsonian National Museum of American History on August 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.
Since the Trump administration announced a crackdown on crime and homelessness in Washington, DC, two weeks ago, the US Park Police and other federal law enforcement agencies have moved quickly and aggressively to clear encampments across the city. They’ve targeted sites from parks to median strips to the traffic circle outside Union Station — all of which is federal land. In fact the National Park Service controls nearly 6,800 acres of land in DC, encompassing 90% of the city’s public green space.
While encampments sweeps in DC are not new — nor have they been effective in addressing homelessness — NPS has previously worked with local homeless service providers to place residents in emergency shelters. But this time, housing advocates say the lack of coordination has left them struggling to track where displaced residents have gone, Kriston Capps reports. Today on CityLab: Why the National Park Service Is Leading Trump’s Crackdown on DC Homelessness