President Donald Trump has signed a broad executive order aimed at confronting the nation’s growing homelessness crisis, empowering local governments to dismantle street encampments and move unhoused individuals into treatment and rehabilitation programs. Announced Thursday, the directive has ignited nationwide debate, with supporters hailing it as a bold step toward restoring public safety and critics warning it could violate civil liberties and worsen existing inequities.
The White House described the move as a “common-sense plan” to restore order and dignity in American cities, particularly in urban centers facing a surge in homelessness. The order grants Attorney General Pam Bondi new authority to override certain legal protections that previously limited municipalities’ ability to clear encampments. Those protections—rooted in federal and state court decisions—have long restricted the forced relocation of unhoused people from public areas without due process or alternative housing options.
Under the order, Bondi will coordinate with Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Housing and Urban Development Secretary Scott Turner, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy to expedite funding for communities implementing measures to address open drug use, illegal squatting, and loitering in public spaces.
Trump Defends the Order as Necessary for Safety and Image
Speaking from the South Lawn on Friday, Trump defended the executive action as vital for both domestic stability and America’s global reputation. “Right outside, there were some tents, and they’re getting rid of them right now,” he said. “You can’t do that — especially in Washington, D.C. I talk to the mayor about it all the time. I said you gotta get rid of the tents.”
He added that the presence of encampments near the White House sends the wrong message to visiting dignitaries: “We can’t have that. When leaders come to see me to make a trade deal for billions and billions and even trillions of dollars, and they come in and there’s tents outside of the White House. We can’t have that. It doesn’t sound nice.”
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt echoed the president’s stance, saying, “By removing vagrant criminals from our streets and redirecting resources toward substance abuse programs, the Trump Administration will ensure that Americans feel safe in their own communities and that individuals suffering from addiction or mental health struggles are able to get the help they need.”
Critics Warn of Constitutional and Ethical Risks
Homelessness advocacy organizations and civil rights groups quickly condemned the order. Donald Whitehead, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, argued that the directive ignores evidence-based strategies that prioritize housing stability. “These executive orders represent a punitive approach that has consistently failed to resolve homelessness and instead exacerbates the challenges faced by vulnerable individuals,” he said.
The National Homelessness Law Center described the policy as “dangerous and unconstitutional,” warning that it “deprives people of their basic rights and makes it harder to solve homelessness. It increases policing and institutionalization, while pushing more people into tents, cars, and streets.”
Legal Landscape and Policy Implications
The timing of the executive order follows a recent Supreme Court ruling upholding an Oregon city’s right to fine individuals for sleeping in public spaces. The Court determined that such measures do not violate the Eighth Amendment’s protections against cruel and unusual punishment, emboldening several municipalities to adopt stricter enforcement.
Some city officials have welcomed federal assistance, citing urgent public safety concerns, while others fear the order prioritizes optics over outcomes. “We understand the need for order,” said a Los Angeles city council member who requested anonymity. “But criminalizing homelessness isn’t a long-term solution. We need affordable housing and mental health services, not just sweeps.”
Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy defended the plan, calling it “a balance of compassion and practicality.” He said, “We’re not talking about jailing people — we’re talking about structured care, support, and treatment.”
Additional Provisions and Divided Reaction
The order also includes enhanced tracking of registered sex offenders within homeless populations to prevent them from residing near schools or playgrounds, a provision framed as a public safety measure.
Public opinion remains deeply divided. Supporters have praised the directive as decisive and overdue, while critics have labeled it an overreach. The American Civil Liberties Union called it “a war on the poor dressed up as policy.”
Homelessness by the Numbers
The initiative comes amid alarming data from the Department of Housing and Urban Development, which reports that more than 770,000 Americans experienced homelessness in 2024—an 18% increase from the previous year. Experts point to rising housing costs, natural disasters, and migrant displacement as key drivers.
Trump, who has made homelessness a campaign focus, previously told supporters, “The homeless encampments will be gone. They’re going to be gone. And we’ve got to take care of the people.”
Whether this sweeping new directive achieves meaningful reform or merely displaces vulnerable populations remains to be seen. For now, it has reignited a fierce national debate over how to balance compassion, order, and civil rights in addressing one of the country’s most urgent humanitarian crises.