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President Donald Trump is preparing to sign an executive order Monday aimed at eliminating Washington, D.C.’s long-standing “cashless bail” system for suspects awaiting trial, Axios reported.
The order would represent the latest expansion of Trump’s federal control over law enforcement in the nation’s capital. The administration has already mobilized thousands of federal agents and National Guard troops in the city as part of a broader crackdown on crime, homelessness and illegal immigration.
According to Axios, the order could threaten to withhold federal funding or government-backed projects if the district does not reinstate a system of monetary bail. It would also instruct federal authorities to take custody of those arrested rather than relying on local detention facilities.
Washington abolished cash bail in the 1990s, becoming one of the first jurisdictions in the country to do so. Under the district’s current policy, judges decide whether to detain or release a defendant based on the risk of flight or danger to the community.
Trump and other conservatives contend that the policy has allowed repeat offenders to cycle back onto the streets. The president previewed the coming order earlier this month, calling D.C.’s policy a “disaster” while announcing the federalization of the city’s police force.
Trump has also urged Congress to pursue a nationwide ban on cashless bail, though legal experts note that bail policies are largely determined by state law.
“Every place in the country where you have no cash bail is a disaster,” Trump said earlier in August.
“That’s what started the problem in New York, and they don’t change it. They don’t want to change it. That’s what started it in Chicago … We’re gonna end that in Chicago. We’re gonna change the statute,” he added.
The White House and the Department of Justice have not released official details on the measure. If signed, the order would add to the recent federal takeover of Washington that has led to over 900 arrests, with National Guard troops patrolling city streets.