(MENAFN) US President Donald Trump has urged homeless individuals in Washington, DC, to leave the city immediately, claiming the move will make the capital safer and cleaner. Posting on Truth Social on Sunday, Trump announced plans for a press conference and warned that the crackdown would happen “very fast.”

He stated that housing would be provided but “FAR from the Capital,” accompanying his post with images of street encampments and people sleeping on highways. Washington currently has approximately 5,138 homeless residents, down from over 6,000 during the 2010s, according to the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments.

Trump also criticized local crime, accusing youths and gang members of attacking residents, and threatened to federalize the city if conditions did not improve. “The Criminals, you don’t have to move out. We’re going to put you in jail where you belong,” he added, likening the operation to his immigration crackdowns.

To enforce order, over 120 federal officers from agencies including the Secret Service, FBI, and US Marshals were deployed last Friday, with additional National Guard troops expected. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser rejected Trump’s claims of a crime surge, noting that violent crime has decreased to a 30-year low over the past two years.

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