On August 28, 2025, Ward 5 Councilmember Zachary Parker held a townhall on the Trump administration’s federal overreach in DC law enforcement and local affairs. We know that federal agent presence is heavy in Ward 5. They are hanging around federal parkland. They have detained people working as landscapers and construction workers and detained people as they take their children to school. They are showing up to MPD scenes to check people’s immigration status.

CM Parker shared that he was told that the low flying helicopters people had questions about last week were CBP helicopters.

We know that this far-reaching incursion is not limited to MPD though. Even though Trump’s “Crime Emergency in DC” executive order and the Home Rule Act speak to federal request of MPD services, Metro is “cooperating” with federal law enforcement and has permitted a mass presence of federal agents (e.g., HSI, FBI, IRS-CI, CBP) at Fort Totten station (and other stations) along with MPD and Metro Transit Police (MTPD) almost daily for the past two weeks.

• Recording
  • You can view and share a recording of the townhall using this link: Ward 5 Town Hall Federal Overreach Recording.
• Slides
  • Access slides: Ward 5 Town Hall Federal Overreach Slides.
• Links
  • Access the Ward 5 Toolkit on Federal Overreach at ward5.us/toolkit.
  • Know your rights: ward5.us/rights.
  • Sign up to join CM Parker’s team for a Ward 5 mobilization on the hill: ward5.us/onthehill.
  • Join Ward 5 demonstrations with CM Parker’s office: ward5.us/resist.
  • Report federal enforcement activity in Ward 5: ward5.us/report.
  • Stay up-to-date through the CM’s newsletter and podcast: ward5.us/newsletter and ward5.us/podcast.

CM Parker invites residents to share questions, thoughts, ideas, or concerns at ward5contact@dccouncil.gov or 202-724-8028.

Let’s continue to look out for one another.