Washington — President Trump on Thursday signed an executive order making it easier for cities and states to remove homeless people from the streets and get them treatment elsewhere.
The president’s order asks Attorney General Pam Bondi to “reverse judicial precedents and end consent decrees that limit state and local governments’ ability to commit individuals on the streets who are a risk to themselves or others,” according to a White House fact sheet. It also commits federal funding to move people on the streets who are “causing public disorder and that are suffering from serious mental illness or addiction” to “treatment centers, assisted outpatient treatment, or other facilities.”
“Shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment will restore public order,” the text of the order said. “Surrendering our cities and citizens to disorder and fear is neither compassionate to the homeless nor other citizens. My Administration will take a new approach focused on protecting public safety.”
The executive order the president also asks Bondi to work with the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development and the Department of Transportation to prioritize federal grants for states and cities that “enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping and loitering,” the White House said. The order was first reported by USA Today.
“President Trump is delivering on his commitment to Make America Safe Again and end homelessness across America,” White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement. “By removing vagrant criminals from our streets and redirecting resources toward substance abuse programs, the Trump administration will ensure that Americans feel safe in their own communities and that individuals suffering from addiction or mental health struggles are able to get the help they need.”
In March, Mr. Trump called for Washington, D.C., Mayor Muriel Bowser to “clean up all of the unsightly homeless encampments in the City, specifically including the ones outside of the State Department, and near the White House.” He added that if she was “not capable of doing so, we will be forced to do it for her!” He signed an executive order directing the National Park Service to clear all homeless encampments on federal lands.
He also signed a separate executive order in March aiming to dismantle the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness.
The president pledged to remove homeless individuals from the nation’s streets during his campaign.
“When I am back in the White House, we will use every tool, lever, and authority to get the homeless off our streets,” Mr. Trump said in a spring 2023 campaign video.
The National Homelessness Law Center said the order “does nothing to lower the cost of housing or help people make ends meet.”
“Forced treatment is unethical, ineffective, and illegal. People need stable housing and access to healthcare. Rather, Trump’s actions will force more people into homelessness, divert taxpayer money away from people in need, and make it harder for local communities to solve homelessness,” said spokesperson Jesse Rabinowitz.
Aaron Navarro is a CBS News digital reporter covering the 2024 elections. He was previously an associate producer for the CBS News political unit in the 2021 and 2022 election cycles.
The post Trump signs order making it easier to remove homeless people from streets appeared first on CBS News.
