US may evict homeless from capital

Legal authority for Trump's plan unclear

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President Donald Trump pledged on Sunday to evict homeless people from the nation's capital and jail criminals, despite Washington DC's mayor arguing there is no current spike in crime.

While details of the plan were unclear, the administration is preparing to deploy hundreds of National Guard troops to Washington, a US official told Reuters, a controversial tactic Mr Trump used recently in Los Angeles to tackle immigration protests over the objections of local officials.

Mr Trump has not made a final decision, the official said, adding that the number of troops and their role are still being determined.

Unlike in California and every other state, where the governor typically decides when to activate Guard troops, the president directly controls the National Guard in Washington, DC.

Past instances of the Guard's deployment in the city include in response to the Jan 6, 2021, attack on the US Capitol by a mob of Mr Trump supporters.