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The White House says those living in homeless encampments in the nation’s capital will have two choices in the coming days: accept treatment at a homeless shelter, or go to jail.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced the ultimatum during a Tuesday press conference as reporters prodded about President Donald Trump’s federal takeover of Washington, D.C.’s law enforcement. She said many of the homeless encampments across the city have already been dismantled, and those that remain she expected to be dealt with this week.
“Seventy homeless encampments have been removed by the U.S. Park Police,” Leavitt said, adding that the Metropolitan Police Department would be joining the Park Police in the effort. “There are only two homeless encampments remaining in D.C. federal parks under the National Park Service’s jurisdiction, and the removal of those two remaining camps is scheduled for this week.”
Asked about what options are available to those in homeless encampments, Leavitt was blunt: “homeless shelters, for addiction and mental health services, or jail if they refuse, are the options on the table right now.”
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White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says homeless in Washington, D.C. must enter a homeless shelter for care or go to jail in the coming days. (AP/Mark Schiefelbein)
Trump himself had floated the idea of relocating homeless encampments to locations well outside the city. Leavitt confirmed the administration is “exploring” the option, but said it is not yet on the table.
A tour by Fox News Digital found that many former hotspots for the homeless have been cleared, with only abandoned clothing and scattered food containers left behind as signs of recent life as of this week.
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In other parts of the city — including the heart of downtown — the homeless population continued to stake out places to sleep and gather in parks or on busy street corners.
A homeless encampment remaining in Washington, D.C., pictured Monday, August 11, 2025. (Fox News Digital )
A general view of a homeless encampment near the Inter-American Development Bank, in Washington, D.C., Aug. 11, 2025. (REUTERS/Ken Cedeno)
At one park, about a dozen people were clustered together with their belongings and a few tents, seemingly unaware of the new crackdown. A dried red substance was splattered across the sidewalk outside their makeshift encampment.
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Trump has repeatedly characterized Washington, D.C., as “one of the most dangerous cities anywhere in the world.” On Saturday, Trump said his administration will “essentially, stop violent crime” in the nation’s capital.
Members of the National Guard facilitate entries at the staging area of local and federal law enforcement agencies inside the U.S. Park Police Anacostia Operations Facility on August 12, 2025 in Washington, D.C. (Craig Hudson For The Washington Post via Getty Images)
The renewed focus follows a series of violent incidents in the city, some involving federal staffers, including a high-profile former employee from the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) who was a victim of an attempted carjacking.
“We have a capital that’s very unsafe, you know, we just almost lost a young man, beautiful, handsome guy that got the hell knocked out of him,” Trump said, referencing former DOGE employee Edward Coristine.
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The president described crime in D.C. as “out of control,” with young “thugs” and “gang members” who are “randomly attacking, mugging, maiming, and shooting innocent citizens.”
Fox News’ Morgan Phillips and Amanda Macias contributed to this report