BREAKING: Washington, DC sues Trump admin over 30-day takeover of police force

Washington, DC Attorney General Brian Schwalb has sued the Trump administration over the president's federalization of law enforcement in the nation's capital.

Schwalb announced the lawsuit on Friday morning, where he said, "We are suing to block the federal government takeover of DC police. By illegally declaring a takeover of MPD, the Administration is abusing its temporary, limited authority under the law. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule DC has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it."

In his statement, Schwalb added, “The administration’s unlawful actions are an affront to the dignity and autonomy of the 700,000 Americans who call DC home. This is the gravest threat to Home Rule that the District has ever faced, and we are fighting to stop it."

This comes after the Trump administration ordered the federalization of the DC police in the area, deployed the National Guard, and ordered that DC Police Chief Pamela Smith be stripped of her authority as the head of police in the capital city, with Attorney General Pam Bondi appointing DEA head Terry Cole to “powers and duties vested in the District of Columbia Chief of Police.”

In the lawsuit, Schwalb argued that Bondi's order stripping authority from Smith was "plainly unlawful" and that the Bondi order does not permit the Trump admin "to implement the EO, issue the Bondi Order, assert operational control over MPD, assume positions within the chain of command supervising MPD, [or] bypass the Mayor to direct policies and services of MPD to perform local law enforcement functions."

The lawsuit took issue with the Trump administration's interpretation and use of section 740 of the Home Rule Act, which states, "Whenever the President of the United States determines that special conditions of an emergency nature exist which require the use of the Metropolitan Police force for Federal purposes, he may direct the Mayor to provide him, and the Mayor shall provide, such services of the Metropolitan Police force as the President may deem necessary and appropriate." 

The White House cited section 740 for its takeover of the police force earlier this week in order to carry out heavy law enforcement action in the nation's capital. After 30 days of federal control of the law enforcement in Washington, DC, a decision must be passed by Congress to extend the executive's control over the police force.