President Donald Trump took executive action on July 24 making it easier for cities and states to remove homeless people from the streets.Trump signed an order directing Attorney General Pam Bondi to seek to reverse federal and state judicial precedents and end consent decrees that limit local and state governments’ ability to move homeless people from streets and encampments into treatment centers.
The move, first reported by USA TODAY, also redirects federal funds to ensure the homeless people impacted are transferred to rehabilitation, treatment and other facilities, though it was not clear how much money would be allocated. Under the order ‒ which the White House has titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets” ‒ Bondi is also required to work with the secretaries of Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development and Transportation to prioritize federal grants to states and cities that “enforce prohibitions on open illicit drug use, urban camping and loitering, and urban squatting, and track the location of sex offenders.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a statement to USA TODAY, said Trump is “delivering on his commitment to Make America Safe Again and end homelessness across America.” “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,” Leavitt said.