A tense scene unfolded in Columbia Heights on Wednesday night that is now sparking fresh debate about D.C. police and their role in federal immigration enforcement.
Video posted on the Washingtonian Problems Instagram account shows local officers and federal agents detaining a man near 16th and Lamont streets. Residents gathered around chanting “let him go” as officers from D.C. police, Homeland Security, and the FBI surrounded the man. Some of the federal agents wore masks, adding to the intensity of the moment.
According to the police report, the man was stopped because he matched the description of a suspect police were searching for. But several law enforcement sources told News4 that officers quickly realized he was not the suspect. Still, before they could let him go, federal Homeland Security agents detained him over questions about his immigration status.
The video shows the man being taken away in handcuffs by D.C. police, even though multiple sources confirmed he was cleared as not being the original suspect. That detail has left many wondering whether D.C. police are still assisting federal agencies with immigration detainers, despite years of pushback against the practice.
Since the Trump administration’s crime emergency in the city ended, Mayor Muriel Bowser has not spelled out what the current rules are for how police work with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Just last month, Police Chief Pamela Smith issued an executive order requiring D.C. police to help federal immigration enforcement while the crime emergency was still in effect. News4 recently asked her if that order still stands now that the emergency has expired. She refused to answer.
Neither D.C. police nor federal agencies offered further explanation about Wednesday night’s incident or the man’s current status. The mayor’s office also declined to comment.
The lack of clarity leaves residents unsettled, especially after watching the video of a man cleared of suspicion being led away anyway. For many, the questions are bigger than one arrest. They go to the heart of whether the city is quietly cooperating with federal immigration crackdowns while saying something different in public.
Word of the incident continues to spread quickly online, fueled by the video and the chants from bystanders demanding the man’s release. For now, the only thing that seems certain is that this arrest has reignited a long-running debate about D.C.’s role in federal immigration enforcement. gration enforcement.