Inside the Washington, DC homeless hotspots Trump has vowed to clean up

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Just a few years ago, travelers arriving by train in Washington, D.C., were met with a jarring juxtaposition: the Capitol building - home to the nation's most powerful lawmakers - rising in the background and a homeless encampment outside Union Station in the foreground.

While the city has removed many of the one-time sprawling encampments near its iconic landmarks and been forced to roll back several progressive policies in an effort to reduce crime, the Trump administration remains unsatisfied.

Many Washingtonians still dodge mentally ill or drug-addicted individuals on their daily commutes. Last week, one of President Trump's Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) staffers was assaulted - a "last straw" that prompted Trump to deploy the National Guard and federalize the Metropolitan Police Department.

Trump vowed to evict the homeless population, saying the government "will give you places to stay, but FAR from the Capitol." He said a process had begun over the weekend to remove homeless encampments in the district.

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A tour by Fox News Digital found that many former hotspots for the unhoused have been cleared, with only abandoned clothing and scattered food containers left behind as signs of recent life.

In other parts of the city - including the heart of downtown - the unhoused population continued to stake out places to sleep and gather in parks or on busy street corners.

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.

On another corner, a handful of individuals slept through the city's lunchtime rush, undisturbed by the surrounding noise.

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While most interactions with the homeless are mundane and nonviolent, a broader sense of unease has taken hold in the city - driven by a series of high-profile, often random attacks. Some involve members of the unhoused population; others do not, but collectively they've contributed to the perception that D.C. has become less safe.

Among them: A minor opened fire on a group of other teens in Navy Yard over the weekend; a 21-year-old congressional intern was fatally shot outside a Metro station during his commute home last month; and two Israeli embassy staffers were gunned down outside an event at the Capital Jewish Museum in May.

Even so, D.C. was far more dangerous in the past. The city hit a 30-year low for violent crime in 2024; down 35% from the previous year. And this year, it's down 26% year to date from last year at this time. Homicides are down 12%, carjackings 37%, robbery 28% and 20% for assault with a dangerous weapon. 

Violent crime had reached a fever pitch in 2023 with 274 homicides. In 2024, there were 187.  

Trump called statistics showing a drop in crime "phony" and said his administration would "look into that." 

"It's becoming a situation of complete and total lawlessness," the president said. He added that the MPD and federal authorities would be supported by 800 D.C. National Guardsmen and potentially "much more."

Groups dedicated to helping the homeless have spoken out against the administration's move.

"Anyone can be at risk of experiencing homelessness," the Georgetown Ministry Center - a privately funded agency focused on homeless services - said in a statement. "When our most vulnerable citizens are demonized and criminalized, we erode our shared humanity."

The D.C. City Council called Trump's move a "manufactured intrusion on local authority." 

"Federalizing the Metropolitan Police Department is unwarranted because there is no Federal emergency. Further, the National Guard has no public safety training or knowledge of local laws. The Guard's role does not include investigating or solving crimes in the District. Calling out the National Guard is an unnecessary deployment with no real mission," a statement read. 

"Public safety is built on trust, consistent enforcement, and community-based strategies. We must ensure that in our pursuit of safety, we do not create an atmosphere of surveillance, intimidation or unequal treatment under the law."