As President Donald Trump promises to deliver DC from the camps for homeless, the people who do not comply could be subject to fines or time in jail, said the press secretary of the White House, Karoline Leavitt, referring to DC laws.
“For too long, these laws have been completely ignored, and the problem of the lack of housing has devastated the city,” he said during Tuesday’s informative session. “Homeless people will have the option of leaving their camp, which is taken to a shelter for homeless people, who are offered addiction or mental health services, and if they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or jail.”
After Trump said this week that homeless people will have places to remain “far from the capital,” Leavitt said the administration is also investigating that.
“We are exploring how we could do that,” he said, adding that shelters for homeless people, addiction and mental health services, or jail “are the options on the table at this time.”
The White House Secretary, Karoline Leavitt, talks to journalists in the reports of James Brady Press at the White House, on August 12, 2025, in Washington.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
