He Sent Troops, but We Were Ready

Those of us who live in the District of Columbia grow accustomed to watching major events unfold in our city. But the hyped-up “crime emergency” President Trump declared in Washington, D.C. in August was different.

An alphabet soup of federal law enforcement officers—DEA, FBI, Park Police, U.S. Customs and Border Protection, ICE—joined National Guard troops and our police force to set up checkpoints, patrol neighborhoods, and arrest people for some felonies, yes, but according to an NPR report, mainly misdemeanors, traffic offenses, or charges that were later dropped. Friends and neighbors shared chilling footage of aggressive immigration enforcement; one friend described the helpless feeling after watching ICE surround a car, break a window, and snatch a neighbor.

I’ve seen resolve and solidarity all around my city.

We are not the first U.S. city this year to face armed soldiers (we see you, L.A.) or the last. But D.C. has fewer official means to push back: The District only gained “home rule” in 1973 and Congress can—and does—override laws approved by our council or voters. The president can also intercede in our affairs.

But this vulnerability may also be our superpower. When Trump issued campaign threats to “take over” the city, local groups took it seriously. Activists launched the Free DC campaign and began to establish neighborhood-based organizing networks. When Trump made good on his threats, they were ready.

I’ve seen resolve and solidarity all around my city: Citizens poured out of apartment buildings to shout ICE out of a neighborhood or warn drivers of checkpoints. “Know your rights” information was posted on social media and lampposts; flyers handed out in churches and farmers markets explained how to safely film law enforcement. A go-go concert and rally in the historic U Street corridor drew hundreds in support of a free D.C. Crowds turned up for an interfaith prayer vigil, a labor-themed solidarity march, a freedom run, and a 10,000-person march co-sponsored by local and national labor unions, activist groups, and religious organizations.

Volunteers organized to keep youth living in targeted curfew zones safe and to stand watch for ICE around schools and other vulnerable places. When the surge in arrests swamped the courthouse handling arraignments, accompaniers waited outside to aid people released in the middle of the night. People delivered essentials to families afraid to leave their homes and collected money for Lyft rides for those afraid to take public transit.

I’ve been sustained by pointed humor, such as sandwich-themed graffiti referencing a guy who flung a sub sandwich at a Customs and Border Protection officer. I’ve been moved by reminders of the human toll of government overreach, including signs posted to mark where immigrants have been taken and videos of agents harassing people who are simply sitting on park benches, bus stops, or their own front stoop.

Volunteers organized to keep youth safe.

The 30-day emergency measures expired Sept. 10, and Congress promptly began to move bills to weaponize our justice system further against Black and brown youth, allow the president to appoint our local attorney general, and even remove traffic safety laws. But in our neighborhoods, businesses, many churches, and even some federal buildings, I believe residents will continue to take up the adage of Free DC: “Prioritize joy. Take up space. Organize.”