| As federal agents have multiplied in Washington, DC, President Donald Trump has taken several other actions this week to assert his control over local criminal justice policies. On Monday, he passed an executive order that aims to end to cashless bail nationwide by stripping federal funds from jurisdictions with objectionable policies. In Washington, where his power is amplified, he’ll seek to keep defendants in jail before their trials “whenever possible.” Trump also called for giving a death sentence to anyone convicted of murder in the nation’s capital. Another executive order signed on Monday called for creating National Guard units in all 50 states that could quell “civil disturbances” and ensure “public safety.” The order came several days after Trump said he would send National Guard troops to Chicago, New York City and Baltimore, as sparring has escalated with local and state officials. “After using Los Angeles and Washington, DC, as his testing ground for authoritarian overreach, Trump is now openly flirting with the idea of taking over other states and cities,” said Illinois Governor JB Pritzker. Meanwhile, lawsuits challenging Trump’s deployments in DC and Los Angeles are ongoing. — Nicole Flatow |
