Trump Orders Removal of Homeless Camps Across the Country

SadaNews - Last night, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order urging cities and states to remove homeless camps and transfer residents to treatment centers, a move that advocates for the homeless say will exacerbate the problem, according to "Agence France-Presse."

The executive order directs Attorney General Pam Bondi to cancel previous state and federal legal rulings and approval decrees that restrict local efforts to clear homeless encampments. It remains unclear how Bondi can unilaterally overturn such rulings.

This order follows a Supreme Court decision in 2024 allowing cities to ban homeless tents.

The National Alliance to End Homelessness condemned the order, stating that it would undermine legal protections for the homeless and those with mental illnesses.

The alliance noted that the Trump administration has a "concerning record of ignoring civil rights and due process" and warned that this will worsen the homelessness crisis.

Trump stated that homeless individuals living in tents should be moved to facilities to address mental health and addiction issues. He did not indicate plans to expand treatment centers or provide long-term housing.

According to the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness, there were about 771,480 homeless individuals in the United States on a single night in 2024, representing an 18 percent increase from the previous year.

According to a survey by the Department of Housing and Urban Development at that time, about 36 percent of these individuals were unsheltered, meaning they were living on the streets, in vehicles, or in tents.

The National Homeless Law Center warned of an exacerbation of the homelessness problem if this order is implemented, along with cuts to housing and healthcare budgets.

The center stated, "Involuntary treatment is unethical, ineffective, and illegal... These measures will push more people into homelessness and divert resources away from those who need them."