RESTORING ORDER AND ADDRESSING VAGRANCY:
Today, President Donald J. Trump enacted an Executive Order aimed at restoring order in American cities while addressing the issue of homelessness. This order seeks to allocate federal resources towards combating substance abuse and emphasizes the urgent need for civil commitment.
- The Order instructs the Attorney General to overturn judicial precedents and abolish consent decrees that restrict state and local governments from committing individuals on the streets who pose risks to themselves or others.
- The Order mandates that the Attorney General collaborate with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development, and the Secretary of Transportation to prioritize grants for states and municipalities that enforce bans on open drug use, urban camping, loitering, and squatting, while also tracking the whereabouts of sex offenders.
- The Order reallocates funding to ensure that individuals camping on streets, who contribute to public disorder and suffer from severe mental illness or addiction, are transitioned into treatment centers, assisted outpatient treatment, or alternative facilities.
- The Order guarantees that discretionary grants for substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery are not utilized to support drug injection sites or the use of illicit drugs.
- The Order prevents sex offenders who receive homelessness assistance from being housed with children and allows programs to exclusively accommodate women and children.
ENSURING PUBLIC SAFETY IN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES:
President Trump is pursuing a new strategy aimed at enhancing public safety, asserting that allowing our cities and citizens to succumb to disorder and fear is neither a compassionate response to homelessness nor fair to other community members.
- Last year, during the closing months of the Biden administration, the number of individuals experiencing homelessness in the U.S. reached an unprecedented high of 274,224 on a single night.
- The vast majority of these individuals are grappling with drug addiction, mental health disorders, or a combination of both.
- Federal and state governments have invested tens of billions of dollars in ineffective programs addressing homelessness without tackling its root causes, leaving other citizens exposed to public safety risks.
- Transitioning these individuals into long-term institutional settings for humane treatment has proven to be the most effective method for restoring public order.
COMMITMENT TO MAKING AMERICA SAFE AGAIN:
President Trump is determined to eradicate homelessness across the nation.
- In 2023, President Trump stated: “We will utilize every tool, lever, and authority to remove the homeless from our streets. Our goal is to care for them, but they cannot remain on our streets.”
- In March 2025, President Trump signed an Executive Order aimed at beautifying Washington D.C., commanding the National Park Service to eliminate all homeless encampments and graffiti on federal properties.
- In May 2025, President Trump established the National Center for Warrior Independence, a facility designed to provide homeless veterans with access to the care, benefits, and services they rightfully deserve.
- As part of First Lady Melania Trump’s BE BEST Initiative, the Department of Housing and Urban Development announced a $1.8 million investment to prevent homelessness among young Americans transitioning out of the foster care system.
