White House
On Monday, President Donald J. Trump signed an Executive Order taking steps to ensure that cashless bail in Washington, D.C. is eliminated.
- The Order tasks the relevant law enforcement agencies and officials that are members of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force to work to ensure that arrestees in the District of Columbia are held in Federal custody to the fullest extent permissible under applicable law, and to pursue Federal charges and pretrial detention for such arrestees whenever possible.
- The Order directs the Attorney General to determine whether the District of Columbia continues to maintain its cashless bail policy for crimes that pose a clear threat to public safety, including murder, rape, carjacking, assault, burglary, looting, and more.
- If the District’s cashless-bail policy remains in place, the Order instructs the Administration to take appropriate actions, which may include Federal funding decisions, services, or approvals, as well as actions the Attorney General identifies as necessary and appropriate because of the emergency conditions.
STOPPING DANGEROUS RELEASE POLICIES IN D.C.: The District of Columbia’s cashless bail policies allow dangerous individuals to be released quickly, endangering residents, visitors, and Federal workers, and force law enforcement to repeatedly arrest the same offenders.
- Under D.C. law, cash bail is effectively outlawed, meaning that the overwhelming majority of individuals arrested and awaiting trial are released back onto the streets.
- A journalist was reportedly injured and sexually abused near Union Station by a homeless man, only to be released back onto the streets before his trial.
- A man who threw a Subway sandwich at a Federal officer has been released on his own recognizance, despite being charged with a sentence that carries up to eight years in Federal prison.
- A man was released after being charged with inappropriately touching three women in Northwest Washington, only to be arrested again just two days later for sexually abusing another three women in broad daylight.
- Two days after a man was released from court on a misdemeanor charge of assaulting a police officer, he was then charged in a fatal stabbing on a Metro train.
- Under the District’s cashless bail policy, law enforcement officers risk their lives to arrest dangerous criminals, only to be forced to arrest the same individuals, sometimes for the same crimes, while they repeatedly endanger American citizens visiting our Nation’s capital and federal workers discharging their duties to our Nation.
- President Trump must protect our Nation’s capital and Federal workers to ensure that the operations and conduct of the responsibilities of the Federal government are carried out safely and successfully.
- A 2023 study out of Yolo County, California found that its “Zero Bail” policy resulted in 163% more crime and 200% more violent crime compared to those who posted bail.
MAKING AMERICA SAFE AGAIN: The American people elected President Trump to get tough on crime and restore safety to communities nationwide.
- President Trump: “When I’m reelected, I will crack down on the left-wing jurisdictions that refuse to prosecute dangerous criminals and set loose violent felons on cashless bail… If you kill somebody, there’s no bond. Don’t worry about it. Go ahead. Kill somebody else. These people are crazy, I’ll tell you.”
- Earlier this month, President Trump mobilized the national guard and invoked emergency authority over the D.C. Metro Police Department to restore law and order in the District of Columbia.
- On his first day in office, President Trump sealed the southern border and launched the largest deportation operation in history to remove criminal illegal aliens.
- He has consistently pushed for stronger law enforcement policies to ensure violent offenders are detained, protecting law-abiding Americans from repeat criminals.
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By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States of America, it is hereby ordered:
Section 1. Purpose and Policy. Maintaining order and public safety requires incarcerating individuals whose pending criminal charges or criminal history demonstrate a clear ongoing risk to society. When these individuals are released without bail under city or State policies, they are permitted — even encouraged — to further endanger law-abiding, hard-working Americans because they know our laws will not be enforced. Our great law enforcement officers risk their lives to arrest potentially violent criminals, only to be forced to arrest the same individuals, sometimes for the same crimes, while they await trial on the previous charges. This is a waste of public resources and a threat to public safety.
As President, I will require commonsense policies that protect Americans’ safety and well-being by incarcerating individuals who are known threats. It is therefore the policy of my Administration that Federal policies and resources should not be used to support jurisdictions with cashless bail policies, to the maximum extent permitted by law.
Sec. 2. Consequences for Cashless Bail Jurisdictions. (a) Within 30 days of the date of this order, the Attorney General shall submit to the President, through the Assistant to the President for Homeland Security, a list of States and local jurisdictions that have, in the Attorney General’s opinion, substantially eliminated cash bail as a potential condition of pretrial release from custody for crimes that pose a clear threat to public safety and order, including offenses involving violent, sexual, or indecent acts, or burglary, looting, or vandalism. The Attorney General shall update this list as necessary.
(b) The head of each executive department and agency, in coordination with the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, shall identify Federal funds, including grants and contracts, currently provided to cashless bail jurisdictions identified pursuant to subsection (a) of this section that may be suspended or terminated, as appropriate and consistent with applicable law.
Sec. 3. General Provisions. (a) Nothing in this order shall be construed to impair or otherwise affect:
(i) the authority granted by law to an executive department or agency, or the head thereof; or
(ii) the functions of the Director of the Office of Management and Budget relating to budgetary, administrative, or legislative proposals.
(b) This order shall be implemented consistent with applicable law and subject to the availability of appropriations.
(c) This order is not intended to, and does not, create any right or benefit, substantive or procedural, enforceable at law or in equity by any party against the United States, its departments, agencies, or entities, its officers, employees, or agents, or any other person.
(d) The costs for publication of this order shall be borne by the Department of Justice.
DONALD J. TRUMP
THE WHITE HOUSE,