FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Press Contacts
National Homelessness Law Center- Jesse Rabinowitz (jrabinowitz@homelesslaw.org or 757.619.8957)
Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless- Amber Harding (press@legalclinic.org)
Miriam’s Kitchen– Silvana Quiroz- (silvana.quiroz@miriamskitchen.org)
UNLAWFUL ARRESTS AND FORCED DISPLACEMENT OF HOMELESS DC RESIDENTS EXPECTED AS SOON AS TONIGHT
(WASHINGTON, D.C. – August 12th) Advocates in D.C. expect the Trump administration to begin the illegal and inhumane jailing and institutionalization of homeless Washingtonians as soon as today. The White House stated in public remarks that D.C. residents would be arrested for sleeping outside, refusing shelter, or declining social services. There are currently 40 shelter beds for the nearly 900 people who sleep outside in DC and social services remain limited. This move follows the Trump administration’s authoritarian taken over of D.C. and threats to force homeless people far from the place they call home.
Making it a crime to be homeless does nothing to solve homelessness, wastes money, and strips homeless D.C. residents of their rights and dignity. This announcement comes on the heels of President Trump’s recent order on homelessness, which paves the way for increased arrests, ticketing, forced detention, segregation, and institutionalization of people who are homeless, sick, or disabled. Homeless people have the same legal rights as any other resident of the District of Columbia. If you are approached by police, you are encouraged to:
- Stay calm. You can say clearly, “I am exercising my right to be silent” and “I do not consent to a search of my body or property.”
- If your belongings are on federal land or blocking the sidewalk, passageway or business, offer to move to a better place or to pack up the tent.
- Ask if you are free to leave. If told yes, leave. If told no, try to remember everything you can about the arresting officer (uniform, badge number, name) and any witnesses. Immediately state “I want to speak to a lawyer.” It is always safer to comply and challenge the actions later.
“The solution to homelessness is always housing first, with supportive services when necessary. Fines, arrests, and encampment evictions make homelessness worse, further traumatize our homeless neighbors while disconnecting them from community and support. Homeless Washingtonians have just as much right to be here in D.C. as anyone,” said Dana White, Director of Advocacy at Miriam’s Kitchen, a D.C. based homeless services organization. “If policing resolved homelessness, we wouldn’t have homelessness here in D.C. or anywhere else in this country.”
“People without homes have the same legal and constitutional rights as anyone else in this country—to be free from unlawful search and seizure, to have due process, to have the right to travel, and the right to choose which jurisdiction to live in. Arresting people for no reason other than the fact that they have no home is inhumane and unjust. It is particularly cruel to do so knowing that federal and local housing programs have been slashed and that DC does not have enough shelter beds,” said Amber W. Harding, Executive Director of the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless.
“People sleep outside in D.C. for the same reason people sleep outside across America- rents are too damn high. If Donald Trump cared about solving homelessness he would make housing cheaper and help people make ends meet. Instead, he deployed the military to D.C. and is pushing through a budget that will make housing cost more,” said Jesse Rabinowitz of the National Homelessness Law Center. “Arresting or ticketing people for sleeping outside makes homelessness worse, wastes taxpayer money, and simply does not work. The solution to homelessness is housing and supports, not handcuffs and jails.”
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About the Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless
The Washington Legal Clinic for the Homeless envisions a District of Columbia where housing is a human right, racial justice is a reality, and all people have true and meaningful access to the resources needed to thrive.
About Miriam’s Kitchen
Miriam’s Kitchen helps individuals obtain the housing, health and critical resources needed to end chronic homelessness.
About the National Homelessness Law Center The National Homelessness Law Center is committed to protecting the rights of unhoused people across the United States and to advocating for policies that prevent and end homelessness, ensuring that all people have access to safe and adequate housing.