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Originally Published in The Hill on August 20, 2025

In January, a 14-year-old was shot and killed by a group of his peers in Southwest Washington, D.C. Just weeks later, an elderly man was chased through traffic by a knife-wielding attacker in broad daylight. 

In May, two Israeli embassy staffers were brutally executed in what authorities have described as an antisemitic hate crime and potential act of terror. Last month, a congressional intern was killed in a tragic and still-unsolved drive-by shooting. And less than two weeks ago, a Trump administration staffer was viciously beaten by a violent mob, according to police.

These disturbing attacks are only a few examples from a very lengthy list of egregious crimes that have happened in D.C. this year. And they are not isolated incidents — they reflect a broader, deepening crisis in Washington, D.C. Once a vibrant city, the nation’s capital is now one of the deadliest places in America. In 2023, the homicide rate reached a 20-year high, with violent crime surging 40 percent, driven largely by armed robberies and carjackings.  

In July, a D.C. police commander was suspended amid allegations that the Metropolitan Police Department had manipulated data to falsely show a significant drop in violent crime compared to last year. But residents know the truth.

Perhaps most alarming is the sharp rise in juvenile crime. Youth offenders accounted for more than half of all robbery arrests last year and nearly 60 percent of carjackings this year. Between January 2021 and June 2024, the percentage of homicides and non-fatal shootings committed by individuals age 15 to 20 nearly doubled. In neighborhoods like Navy Yard, just blocks from the U.S. Capitol, teens have turned the streets into battlegrounds. Restaurants and businesses have been forced to shut down while law-abiding residents live in fear. 

On March 27, President Trump took decisive action, establishing a task force to coordinate federal and local law enforcement efforts in the district. Last week, he went further and declared a crime emergency in Washington, directing the Department of Defense to deploy the National Guard to help restore order.

For far too long, D.C.’s justice system has failed to hold criminals accountable. Young offenders committing violent crimes are often released immediately, emboldened by a system that delivers them no real consequences. In May, Immigration and Customs Enforcement arrested nearly 200 illegal immigrants in D.C., many of whom had criminal records and known gang affiliations. At the time, local authorities had repeatedly refused to honor federal detainers, releasing these individuals back onto the streets.

That ends now. The era of turning a blind eye to the violence, disorder and lawlessness is over.  

To support Trump’s bold action and ensure repeat offenders face real consequences before deportation, the House must take up Rep. Knott’s Stop Illegal Entry Act.

Trump has made it clear: The time for excuses is over. Residents of our nation’s capital are demanding real action. House Republicans, led by Oversight Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.), are stepping up their scrutiny of D.C.’s local government. Following the president’s unprecedented move to take control of the Metropolitan Police Department and deploy the National Guard, Comer plans to hold a congressional hearing with key D.C. officials, pursuing legislation to prosecute juveniles as adults when warranted, mandate crime-tracking, block the city council from changing sentencing rules, eliminate sanctuary policies and hold accountable individuals in the country accountable. 

That is why the Senate must pass the Protecting Our Nation’s Capital Emergency Act, which restores due process protections for Metropolitan Police Department officers in Washington, D.C. Passing this legislation would be a critical step in the right direction to tackle the public safety crisis brought by soft-on-crime policies. The days of rampant crime in the nation’s capital must end immediately.

Without meaningful reform, Washington, D.C., will continue to spiral into chaos, jeopardizing the safety of residents, members of Congress and visitors alike.

We cannot allow the nation’s capital to fall into lawlessness. Washington must be safe, clean and secure — not just for its residents, but as a model for the country and the world.

It’s time for the city’s leaders to stop enabling criminals and start defending the law-abiding citizens. Federal intervention is not only justified but also long overdue.

August Pfluger represents the 11th District of Texas and is the chair of Republican Study Committee. Brad Knott represents the 13th District of North Carolina.