Congress has approved a sweeping law enforcement bill that lowers the age at which children can be prosecuted as adults to 14, part of the Trump administration’s broader crime crackdown.
Crackdown on Juvenile Crime
The House passed two Republican-backed DC crime bills on Tuesday, both with some Democratic support.
Kentucky Rep. James Comer praised the measures, saying, “D.C.’s soft-on-crime policies have failed to keep D.C. residents and visitors safe.”
One bill, the DC Crimes Act, requires the attorney general to publish youth crime data online and removes juvenile sentencing guidelines for offenders ages 18 to 24. It passed 240–179 with 31 Democrats voting in favor.
A second bill, more controversial, lowers the threshold for trying juveniles as adults from 16 to 14. Eight Democrats joined Republicans in approving it, 225–203.
DC Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton strongly opposed the measures, warning, “Keep their hands off D.C.”
Federal Power and Policing
The new laws build on Trump’s August move to deploy the National Guard to oversee DC’s Metropolitan Police Department. Federal agencies like the FBI, DEA, and Secret Service are now working alongside Guard units under federal command.
Defendants under 18 are currently prosecuted by DC’s elected attorney general, but the Trump administration is pushing to move serious cases into adult court. DC Attorney Jeanine Pirro said the council has “coddled young criminals for years” with lenient policies.
More Bills on the Table
Lawmakers will soon vote on two additional DC-related proposals:
-
Limiting DC’s role in selecting local judges
-
Weakening restrictions on police pursuits
Trump’s Crime Agenda
Within hours of the National Guard’s arrival in DC, federal agents reported 23 arrests for crimes including homicide and firearms offenses. The White House says more cities could be next, with Memphis and St. Louis already on Trump’s radar.
Leave a Reply