United States of America - August 2025

On 11 August, President Donald Trump ordered federal control of the Metropolitan Police Department of the District of Columbia (D.C.), after declaring a ‘crime emergency’ and invoking the D.C. Home Rule Act. He further directed the Attorney General to temporarily oversee D.C. police, deployed National Guard units (eventually armed) from D.C. and six states, and tasked federal law enforcement agencies with street-level policing. The decision follows an emergency declaration related to ‘the magnitude of the violent crime crisis’ despite declines in crime rates in recent years. It is the first time that the D.C. Metropolitan Police has been placed under federal control. Mayor Muriel Bowser highlighted the unprecedented nature of the decision and the intrusion on the District’s autonomy, but announced cooperation with federal officials. Pursuant to the Home Rule Act and notification of congressional committees, federal control of police lasted 30 days. National Guard members were still deployed in D.C. in September. The President has indicated that similar moves in other cities could follow.

Sources: The White House, Reuters, The Guardian, CNN

On 29 August, the Governor of Texas, Greg Abbott, signed a new gerrymandered map of the state’s U.S. House of Representatives districts into law. Responding to a demand from President Donald Trump, the redistricting openly aims to create more U.S. House districts dominated by Republican voters and is expected to result in a gain of five House seats for the Republicans. In response, California lawmakers passed bills that would improve the Democratic Party’s performance by five seats in the U.S. House; these will be voted on by Californians in November. In September, a Republican-majority legislature in Missouri followed suit, as governors of heavily Democratic and Republican states further announcing similar measures. Critics have noted that gerrymandering dilutes the power of individual voters, both by packing voters of colour into fewer districts and reducing the competitiveness of some districts.   

Sources: BBC, New York Times, NPR, CNN, The Guardian 

On 25 August, President Donald Trump attempted to fire Lisa Cook, a Governor and member of the Federal Reserve board, alleging she had engaged in mortgage fraud before she assumed office. Cook sued the Trump administration to block her firing, and she was granted a temporary injunction by a District Judge pending the resolution of the suit. The administration appealed to  the Supreme Court to block the injunction. The decision to dismiss Ms. Cook came after the President’s request that the Federal Reserve cut interest rates. This follows the 1 August dismissal of Erika McEntarfer from the post of Commissioner of Labor Statistics after she released reports showing a deceleration in hiring. Critics argue that these measures constitute interference with economic and regulatory entities that enjoy political independence, as established by Congress.

Sources: The Guardian, AP, CNN, BBC, New York Times, D.C. District Court