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A total 45 criminal arrests were made, which included "29 illegal aliens who were removed" in Washington, D.C. Wednesday (August 13) night after President Donald Trump deployed the National Guard to patrol the city, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt announced on FOX News Thursday (August 14) morning.
"Overnight, there were 45 criminal arrests made... In addition to that, there were 29 illegal aliens who were removed... If the Democrats had their way, there would be hundreds more criminals roaming free," Leavitt said.
Trump announced his decision invoke to the D.C. home Rule Act to place the D.C. Metropolitan Police Department under direct federal control and deploy members of the National Guard to the city on Monday (August 11). The president claimed that Washington, D.C., had been “overtaken by violent gangs and bloodthirsty criminals, roving mobs of wild youth, drugged-out maniacs and homeless people" while announcing his "Liberation Day" decision.
Trump claimed that his administration was "not going to let it happen anymore" and vowed to remove homeless encampments from all public places, which includes parks and underpasses. Recent DC Metropolitan Police Department data showed that Washington D.C. has experienced a 26% drop in violent crime compared to 2025, with overall crime down 7% in the last year, according to the New York Post. Trump, however, downplayed the numbers as "phony" and claimed Attorney General Pam Bondi was "looking into that."