Homeless who refuse to cooperate with Trump crackdown may go to jail, White House says [View all]

[Eugene]

Source: Reuters

Homeless who refuse to cooperate with Trump crackdown may go to jail, White House says

Colette Luke and Julio-Cesar Chavez
Tue, August 12, 2025 at 6:11 PM EDT
4 min read

WASHINGTON (Reuters) -Homeless people in Washington, D.C., could face jail time if they do not comply with President Donald Trump's efforts to crack down on crime and rid the U.S. capital of homeless encampments, the White House said on Tuesday.

"Homeless individuals will be given the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter, to be offered addiction or mental-health services, and if they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time," White House spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt told reporters.

Leavitt said the administration was exploring strategies to relocate homeless individuals "far from the capital." She said U.S. Park Police have removed 70 homeless encampments from federal parks since March and are set to clear the remaining two encampments in the city later this week.

Andy Wassenich, director of policy at Miriam's Kitchen - an organization offering services to the homeless - said his team was out trying to warn people. He said there was still a lot of confusion about what the crackdown may bring.

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Read more: https://www.yahoo.com/news/articles/homeless-refuse-cooperate-trump-crackdown-221142192.html