United States President Donald Trump has signed a new executive order that makes it easier for states and cities to remove homeless individuals from public areas and relocate them to facilities for mental illness and addiction treatment.
According to a White House statement, the order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to “reverse judicial precedents and end consent decrees” that allegedly limit the ability of local authorities to detain individuals on the street who pose a risk to themselves or others, according to CBS News.
The order also provides for federal funding to relocate homeless individuals who are “causing public disorder” or suffering from “severe mental illness or addiction” to treatment centers, outpatient care, or other facilities.
The White House stated that Bondi will collaborate with multiple federal departments, including the Department of Health and Human Services, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Transportation, to prioritize funding for cities and states that enforce bans on camping and illegal drug use in public places.
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White House spokesperson Caroline Leavitt stated that with this order, Trump “fulfilled his promise to make America safe again” and “end homelessness nationwide.” According to her, by “removing criminal vagrants” and directing funds to addiction treatment programs, the administration aims to create safer communities and provide assistance to those most in need.
Trump also signed an executive order to dissolve the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, a body that coordinated strategies to combat homelessness.
During his campaign in spring 2023, Trump announced that if he returned to the White House, he would “use every tool and authority to remove homeless people from American streets.”
The decision has drawn sharp criticism from human rights organizations. The National Law Center on Homelessness & Poverty stated that the order “does not address the root causes of homelessness” and that forced treatment is “unethical, ineffective, and illegal.”
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Source: B92; Foto: EPA / Kent Nishimura Pool