OAN Staff Brooke Mallory
6:00 PM – Friday, August 15, 2025
Attorney General Pam Bondi recently issued an order placing Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) head Terry Cole as “emergency police commissioner” of the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department (MPD), effectively bypassing Mayor Muriel Bowser and Police Chief Pamela Smith. Bondi’s directive also rescinded local sanctuary city policies, mandating cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
In response, Mayor Bowser and D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb filed a lawsuit, arguing the move violated the 1973 D.C. Home Rule Act, which preserves the District’s limited self-governing autonomy, especially in matters of local policing.
“By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its limited, temporary authority under the Home Rule Act, infringing on the District’s right to self-governance and putting the safety of D.C. residents and visitors at risk,” Schwalb said in a statement. “The Administration’s unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call D.C. home. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it.”
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U.S. District Judge Ana C. Reyes then stepped in and brokered what she suggested was a compromise.
Judge Reyes permitted Cole to remain Bondi’s “designee for requesting services” from MPD, but not to command or override the local leadership.
The judge also stipulated that Cole must go through the mayor to request any assistance. She warned that if the Justice Department did not revise Bondi’s order by Friday at 6:30 p.m. local time, she would issue a temporary restraining order (TRO) to block Cole from asserting any authority.
Soon after, the DOJ agreed to revise the order in accordance with the judge’s terms, avoiding a TRO, at least for now. However, the court also sidestepped one of the case’s most prominent questions: whether President Donald Trump can direct D.C. police officers to enforce immigration laws. That matter is expected to be decided next week, according to Reyes.
In an order issued earlier this week, Bondi had appointed the head of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), Terry Cole, to lead the D.C. police department — a move that surprised city leaders, including Mayor Bowser and Police Chief Pamela A. Smith. The order also rescinded local policies that limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement.
By the close of Friday’s hearing, Justice Department attorney Yaakov Roth said the administration would revise a key provision of Bondi’s directive, removing Cole’s designation as police commissioner. City officials warned that stripping Smith, Bowser’s appointee, of her role would mark perhaps the “most severe blow” to D.C.’s home rule in its history.
Trump invoked Section 740 of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act to place the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) under federal control.
This section permits the President to direct the mayor of D.C. to provide MPD services for federal purposes during “special conditions of an emergency nature.” Initially, this federal control can last up to 48 hours without notification to Congress. Beyond that, the president must notify the leaders of the Senate and House Committees on the District of Columbia in writing within 48 hours. The federal control can continue for up to 30 days unless Congress enacts a joint resolution to extend it.
Alongside the police takeover, the administration had deployed the D.C. National Guard to support law enforcement efforts.
Since the DOJ has since agreed to amend the order, it will reclassify Terry Cole not as an emergency police commander, but rather, as a liaison authorized only to request MPD assistance via the mayor.
Analysts say that the entire situation highlights a broader struggle over D.C.’s limited Home Rule, and it also raises critical questions about the scope of federal power over the nation’s capital — amid growing debates in Congress over expanding the District’s autonomy.
Amid the ongoing controversy, Mayor Bowser later acknowledged that she had left Washington, D.C., on Thursday during President Trump’s federal crackdown, traveling to Martha’s Vineyard. According to her office, the trip was necessary, as she needed to pick up her 7-year-old daughter. However, critics of hers have argued that she was “running away” from her responsibilities and using her child as an excuse.
“The mayor has a family commitment and had to pick up her daughter,” the mayor’s office stated. “She will return to the District tomorrow.”
The Democrat mayor also maintained that she remained in complete control of D.C. throughout her absence.
“I am in constant contact with my senior team and have been in constant consultation with our partners throughout a short swing out of the District,” Bowser said on social media, seemingly complaining that she had already canceled a family vacation due to the ongoing turmoil.
Martha’s Vineyard serves as both a summer vacation spot and a liberal stronghold. It is located off the coast of Cape Cod, Massachusetts, being renowned for its scenic beauty, charming towns, and wealthy visitors.
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