White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt provided an update on Thursday morning regarding President Donald Trump’s federal operation to combat violent crime in Washington, D.C., saying that 45 more people were arrested on Wednesday night.
In addition to the 45 arrests made by federal authorities in collaboration with D.C. police, federal agents also detained 29 suspected illegal immigrants, Leavitt said. The charges against those arrested overnight on Wednesday included second- and first-degree assault and distribution of illegal drugs and narcotics. Authorities also seized three illegal firearms while making some of those arrests.
“In addition to that, there were 29 illegal aliens who were removed off of Washington, D.C., streets last night, many of whom had final orders of removal,” the White House press secretary told Fox News. “So these results are happening night after night because of the efforts of this federal task force that [is] working alongside the Metropolitan Police Department, who agree with this effort.”
“While Democrats want to rant and rave and coddle criminals, President Trump wants to put them behind bars, and that’s what this task force is focused on doing for the next 28 days,” Leavitt added.
Leavitt also argued that the “huge law enforcement presence” in the streets of the nation’s capital is deterring more violent crime.
.@PressSec on Making D.C. Safe Again: “Overnight, there were 45 criminal arrests made… In addition to that, there were 29 illegal aliens who were removed… If the Democrats had their way, there would be hundreds more criminals roaming free.” pic.twitter.com/rT8FREVSdg
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) August 14, 2025
Leavitt’s latest update adds to the total arrest number revealed on Wednesday, when Fox News reported that federal authorities made over 100 arrests between August 7-12. Following Trump’s order to federalize D.C. police, agents with the FBI, Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Capitol Police, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives descended upon the nation’s capital. Trump also deployed around 800 National Guard troops to assist with federal efforts to crack down on crime in D.C.
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FBI Director Kash Patel said on Tuesday that his agents assisted in the arrest of at least 10 people, including one arrest “on a search warrant for a prior murder charge.” Democratic Congressional and city leaders continue to push back on Trump’s plan to address D.C.’s violent crime. D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser argues that crime in the capital “is at its lowest level in 30 years.”
“We had an unacceptable spike in 2023, so we changed our laws and strategies. Now, crime levels are not only down from 2023, but from before the pandemic,” Bowser said earlier this week. “Our tactics are working, and we aren’t taking our foot off the gas.”
The president disagreed, and he took to Truth Social on Wednesday evening to cast doubt on the city’s official crime data.
“The Violent Crime Rate in D.C. has worsened, and the Murder Rate has essentially DOUBLED in just over a decade — But these are only the ‘official’ statistics released by corrupt City Officials. The REAL numbers are many times worse,” Trump wrote. “In fact, a Precinct Commander was just suspended for allegedly manipulating the Violent Crime Statistics, and the D.C. Police Union, likewise, says the real numbers are much higher.”
The president notched another major victory on Thursday when Washington, D.C., Police Chief Pamela A. Smith announced that the city would break from its “sanctuary city” policies, The Daily Wire previously reported.
“Effective immediately, members may assist federal immigration enforcement agencies with the following: Sharing information about persons not in MPD custody (e.g., during traffic stops). Providing transportation for federal immigration agency employees and detained subjects,” a press release signed by Chief Smith stated.