DC MPD allows limited sharing with ICE/CBP under 30-day federalization

Washington, D.C. – The Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) issued an executive order on Thursday that allows officers to share information with federal immigration authorities about people not in MPD custody, including individuals stopped for traffic violations, and to transport detainees to federal facilities. The directive, issued four days into the Trump administration’s temporary federalization of the district’s police department, marks a limited shift in local policing policy amid heightened federal involvement intended to combat crime in the capital.

Under the order, MPD officers may cooperate with Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) by providing non-custodial information and by transporting federal detainees. The policy explicitly states that officers must not use any database to determine someone’s immigration status and that they cannot detain or arrest individuals solely on immigration grounds or at the request of federal officials if those individuals would otherwise be released. In effect, the change creates a narrow carveout that permits cooperation on non-custodial matters while preserving the district’s broader...