WASHINGTON (BN24) — President Donald Trump on Thursday signed a sweeping executive order intended to give cities and states broader authority to remove homeless individuals from public spaces and relocate them to treatment or housing facilities, citing concerns over public disorder and safety.
The order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to roll back court precedents and consent decrees that, according to the White House, limit the ability of local governments to commit individuals who are deemed a threat to themselves or others. It also authorizes federal funding to support transferring those with severe mental illness or addiction away from street encampments and into long-term care.
“Shifting homeless individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment through the appropriate use of civil commitment will restore public order,” the order states. “Surrendering our cities and citizens to disorder and fear is neither compassionate to the homeless nor to other citizens. My Administration will take a new approach focused on protecting public safety.”
The directive also instructs Bondi to coordinate with the Departments of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, and Transportation to prioritize federal grants for states and municipalities that enforce bans on illicit drug use, urban camping, and loitering in public spaces.
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt framed the move as part of Trump’s broader strategy to “Make America Safe Again,” a cornerstone of his re-election campaign. “By removing vagrant criminals from our streets and redirecting resources toward substance abuse programs, the Trump administration will ensure that Americans feel safe in their own communities and that individuals suffering from addiction or mental health struggles are able to get the help they need,” she said in a statement.
The executive order marks an escalation in Trump’s long-standing campaign promise to “end homelessness across America,” and comes months after he ordered the National Park Service to clear encampments from federal lands in Washington, D.C. In March, Trump openly criticized D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser for allowing homeless encampments near federal buildings, warning that the federal government would intervene if the city failed to act.
Thursday’s order follows another directive from March in which Trump moved to dismantle the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, a bipartisan body responsible for coordinating homelessness policy across federal agencies.
During his 2024 campaign, Trump made homelessness a focal point, repeatedly promising to use “every tool, lever, and authority” to clear encampments and relocate people to treatment or housing centers. “When I am back in the White House, we will get the homeless off our streets,” he vowed in a campaign video last spring.
Advocates for the homeless have expressed concern that Trump’s policies could criminalize poverty and lead to the forced institutionalization of vulnerable populations without due process. However, administration officials insist the executive order emphasizes treatment and public safety, not punishment.
