Former President Donald Trump called for the immediate removal of homeless individuals from Washington, D.

C.

, following his suggestion that the federal government assume control of the city.

Trump's remarks, shared [Insert platform where he shared the remarks, e.

g.

, on Truth Social], came across as a forceful demand, using the word "IMMEDIATELY" in all caps to emphasize his urgency.

He didn't offer a detailed plan for where these individuals would go or how the removal would be accomplished.

This statement follows Trump's previous assertion that the federal government should take over the District of Columbia, citing concerns about crime and the management of the city.

Critics immediately pointed out the inhumane and impractical nature of his proposal to simply evict the city's homeless population.

They argued that such an action would be a violation of basic human rights and would exacerbate the already complex issue of homelessness without providing any viable solutions.

The response to Trump's statement has been swift and largely condemnatory.

Advocates for the homeless condemned the lack of compassion and the potential for further marginalization.

Legal experts questioned the legality of such a mass eviction and the likely challenges such an action would face in court.

Political opponents highlighted the statement as further evidence of Trump's disregard for vulnerable populations and his tendency towards simplistic, often draconian, solutions to complex social problems.

The lack of detail in Trump's proposal further fueled criticism.

Questions remain unanswered regarding the logistics of relocating thousands of individuals, the provision of essential services, and the potential cost of such an undertaking.

The incident underscores the ongoing debate surrounding homelessness in major cities and the differing approaches to tackling this multifaceted issue.

President Trump wrote Sunday that homeless people should be moved out of Washington, D.C., "IMMEDIATELY" and relocated "FAR" away, as he hints at more aggressive policing in the nation's capital — and suggests putting the city under federal control.

The Trump administration it had boosted the presence of federal law enforcement in D.C., after the of a former Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE, staffer. In a series of Truth Social posts over the weekend, the president suggested he may take further action, he said would "involve ending the Crime, Murder, and Death in our Nation's Capital."

Mr. Trump's possible next steps remain unclear. 

"The Homeless have to move out, IMMEDIATELY. We will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capital. The Criminals, you don't have to move out. We're going to put you in jail where you belong," Mr. Trump wrote in a Sunday morning post accompanied by photos of roadside encampments and garbage.

"There will be no 'MR. NICE GUY,'" the president continued. "We want our Capital BACK."

Hours later, Mr. Trump : "Before the tents, squalor, filth, and Crime, it was the most beautiful Capital in the World. It will soon be that again."

Last week, the president also  "exert my powers" to put Washington under federal control. A spokeswoman with the FBI Washington Field Office on Sunday confirmed to TheNews that its agents are "participating in the increased federal law enforcement presence in Washington, D.C."

Mr. Trump has floated the idea of federalizing D.C. in the past. His latest call to take over the city was driven by an alleged attack on ex-DOGE employee Edward Coristine during a weekend carjacking attempt. Mr. Trump on Tuesday and appeared to share a photo of Coristine. Writing that crime in the capital is "totally out of control," he suggested a federal takeover of Washington if the city's local government "doesn't get its act together, and quickly."

The president the authority to fully federalize the capital city — unless Congress repeals a 1973 law that gave the city's residents the power to elect their own mayor and city council. He can temporarily take over the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department if he "determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for federal purposes," but it's that the legal conditions are met.

Mr. Trump also said Sunday that his press conference will focus on "Cleanliness and the General Physical Renovation and Condition of our once beautiful and well maintained Capital," citing a .

Violent crime in D.C. has been declining for the last year and a half after spiking in 2023, according to local police data. So far this year, robberies have dropped by 29% and overall violent crime is down 26%, as of . Last year, violent crime in the capital city hit its lowest level in more than 30 years, the said.

Meanwhile, about 5,138 people are homeless in D.C., down 9% year-over-year, according to a tally conducted earlier this year by the . That's higher than 2022 and 2023's figures, which put the number of homeless people below 5,000, but lower than the more than 6,000 homeless people who were reported throughout the 2010s.

Mr. Trump has like D.C. to remove homeless people from the streets. He signed an executive order last month telling the Justice Department to "reverse judicial precedents and end consent decrees that limit state and local governments' ability to commit individuals on the streets who are a risk to themselves or others." It also directed federal agencies to prioritize grants to cities that "enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping and loitering." The move drew criticism from advocacy groups like the National Homelessness Law Center.

D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser told MSNBC on Sunday she isn't sure what the president's Monday announcement will be but she suspects "he is surging federal law enforcement."

Bowser spoke to the cable network before Mr. Trump's most recent posts on Sunday, which included some criticism of the mayor. He wrote on Truth Social that Bowser "is a good person who has tried, but she has been given many chances, and the Crime Numbers get worse, and the City only gets dirtier and less attractive."

The mayor defended local officials' handling of crime in the city, saying on MSNBC the police and its federal partners "have spent over the last two years driving down violent crime in this city." She added that the city does need federal assistance, pointing to the fact that D.C. prosecutors work for the Justice Department and local judges are nominated by the president.

"We are not experiencing a spike in crime," Bowser said. "In fact, we're watching our crime numbers go down."