Washington, D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has expressed confidence that the District of Columbia will not be forced to enforce President-elect Donald Trump’s controversial immigration policies. In an interview on Monday, Bowser rejected the idea that the city’s police department would take on the role of enforcing immigration laws, as Trump has suggested.
“I don’t think Congress is going to make us the INS,” Bowser said, referencing the Immigration and Naturalization Service, which is responsible for overseeing immigration enforcement. She emphasized that taking on such a responsibility would require substantial resources, including additional funding and officers.
Trump, during a recent interview with NBC News’ *Meet the Press*, reiterated his campaign promise to abolish birthright citizenship and launch mass deportation efforts targeting undocumented immigrants. He also mentioned the possibility of deporting children born in the U.S. to undocumented parents.
Bowser clarified that Washington, D.C. has never been involved in immigration enforcement and that the city intends to maintain this stance. “We enforce our own laws. We’ve never been responsible for enforcing immigration laws and that remains the case,” she said.
However, Bowser acknowledged that the city must remain vigilant about potential changes coming from the federal government. Under certain emergency conditions, the U.S. president could, in theory, take control of D.C.’s police department. But Bowser stressed that such a move would require extraordinary circumstances, including a temporary emergency declaration, and would not be a simple process.
“I don’t want to leave any D.C. resident with the impression that a wand could be raised and that would happen,” Bowser stated. “It would require extraordinary circumstances and/or a challenge to very clear law.”
Bowser also mentioned that she has been in discussions with representatives of the incoming administration regarding D.C.’s affairs, including public safety, but reiterated that the city remains committed to handling its own law enforcement duties.
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