After Trump’s Crime Order, Federal Agents Still Target Washington Residents
Black and Brown residents in Washington, D.C., say federal law enforcement continues to harass and profile them weeks after President Donald Trump’s 30-day emergency crime order expired.
Abdul Mansray recalled being pulled over and harassed during the first days of the order. D. Coats/Bay, another resident, described repeated encounters with officers, including a recent incident where agents confronted people at a neighborhood playground. Both accounts point to a pattern of policing that leaves communities feeling more targeted than protected.
“This isn’t about safety—it’s about control,” Coats/Bay said.
Experts say the experiences reflect a broader problem with how public safety is defined and enforced. Sean Campbell, a professor and investigative journalist, noted that federal definitions of safety often serve institutions of power rather than the communities most affected.
For many Black and Brown Washingtonians, the lingering presence of federal officers has turned everyday spaces into sites of surveillance, reinforcing the sense that protection and policing are not the same thing.
[Editor’s Note: Howard Unicersity journalism student and Bison ONE Newsroom correspondent Robert Hill went on the ground in the Metro D.C. area to speak with residents about what they are experiencing in the wake of Donald Trump’s occupation of the city with the National Guard and his commandeering and militarization of the local police force.]
Robert Hill is a senior honors student at Howard University studying broadcast journalism in the Cathy Hughes School of Communications. He’s passionate about storytelling that uplifts Black voices and sheds light on issues of community, culture and justice. He wants to focus on building platforms that inspire, inform, and create spaces for the Black community.
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