DC Mayor Bowser on Trump's immigration crackdown, using masked federal officers and checkpoints

Описание: (21 Aug 2025)
RESTRICTION SUMMARY:

ASSOCIATED PRESS
Washington - 21 August 2025
++SOUND AS INCOMING++
1. Wide of DC Mayor Muriel Bowser beginning a press conference with other DC officials at her side, including acting director of DC's Department of Human Services Rachel Pierre, left, and DC City Administrator Kevin Donahue, far right
2. SOUNDBITE (English) Mayor Murel Bowser, (D) Washington DC
"What I know is that our police department has been consistently, precipitously driving down crime for the last two years. I think before the federal surge, more than 25% down last year, more than 35% down on, I think all categories of violent crime. And so we know that has been effective work with the police department. We know that the surge of federal officers is allowing for different types of deployment, and more frequent types of deployment, like checkpoints. The request from the feds that was represented in the Pam Bondi order almost exclusively focused on immigration enforcement and homeless encampment enforcement. So I'll let you draw your own conclusion."
++BLACK FRAMES++
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Mayor Murel Bowser, (D) Washington DC
"You mentioned a meeting I had with MPD (Metropolitan Police Department) and one thing that the MPD officer said was, well, 'we don't wear a masks.' No one should be wearing masks. And our officers are identified. They have a badge. They wear a body-worn camera. And they are clearly identified to members of the public. Now, I haven't noticed, I've noticed all the federal officials are, wearing their appropriate uniform or vest that identify them and their agency. It appears to be the DHS agencies, not the DOJ agencies that are wearing masks."
Reporter: "Why is it important that law enforcement not be going around masked?"
Bowser: "Well, I think I would answer it this way. Why do they need masks? Their federal officials, their paid by taxpayers? They should be doing their jobs in a way that's lawful and constitutional and that's part of the job. And so I don't know why anybody needs to wear a mask. And I think some people identified as some of these drug type situations, that mask could be part of a, you know, a PPE (personal protective equipment), if you will. That's not the case for what they're doing here."
4. Zoom out of Bowser ending press conference, shaking hands, walking off
STORYLINE:
D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser acknowledged Thursday that the proliferation of traffic checkpoints are an inevitable aspect of the federal law enforcement operations.

“The surge of federal officers is allowing for different types of deployments, more frequent types of deployments, like checkpoints,” Bowser said.

Bowser didn’t criticize the use of the checkpoints, but she continues to question why so many of the federal officers on the streets continue to cover their faces. She asked MPD chief Pamela Smith to address the issue with the Trump administration but said Thursday that there has been no response.

“Why do they need masks,” she asked. They are federal officials, they’re paid by the taxpayers. They should be doing their jobs in a way that’s lawful and constitutional. That’s part of the job.”

Since Aug. 7, when Trump began surging federal agents into the city, there have been 630 arrests, including 251 people who are in the country illegally, according to the White House. Trump has been ratcheting up the pressure since then, seizing control of the D.C. police department on Aug. 11 and deploying more National Guard troops, mostly from Republican-led states.


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#Bowser #Trump #immigration #crackdown
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