Who's in Charge of D.C.? Here's What the Law Says.

The city’s limited self-governance set the stage for the president’s push to take over the police.

President Trump’s rapidly escalating push to exert control over law enforcement in Washington has posed one of the biggest threats to the city’s self-governance since it was granted limited home rule by Congress in 1973.

The fight, which has now moved to the courts, touches not just who gives orders to the city’s police officers, but also the District of Columbia’s tenuous autonomy.

What is home rule?

The District of Columbia Home Rule Act of 1973 gave residents of the capital a limited form of self-governance for the first time since the 1800s. Before it, Congress and commissioners appointed by the president governed the city. And District residents — who had no representation in Congress — basically had no local elections to vote in, either. . .

What happens next?

The agreement, for now, rolls back Ms. Bondi’s attempt to put the federal government more firmly in control of the city’s police. But it leaves open some questions as to whether she can compel Washington police to assist in immigration enforcement. Those questions will probably be further debated in court in the coming week.

The lawsuit itself represents a major escalation of the tension between Washington and the president. Mayor Bowser had sought for much of this year to stay in the president’s good graces in an effort to protect the city’s fragile home rule at a time when Republicans hostile to it also control Congress. But that strategy reached its limits this week.

https://www.nytimes.com/2025/08/15/upshot/washington-dc-home-rule-explained.html