As President Donald Trump vows to rid D.C. of homeless encampments, individuals who do not comply could be subject to fines or jail time, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said, referencing D.C. laws.
“For far too long, these laws have been completely ignored, and the homelessness problem has ravaged the city,” she said during Tuesday’s briefing. “Homeless individuals will be given the option to leave their encampment, to be taken to a homeless shelter, to be offered addiction or mental health services — and if they refuse, they will be susceptible to fines or to jail time.”
After Trump said this week that homeless individuals will be given places to stay “far from the capital,” Leavitt said the administration is also still looking into that.
“We’re exploring how we could do that,” she said, adding that homeless shelters, addiction and mental health services, or jail “are the options on the table right now.”
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks with reporters in the James Brady Press Briefing Room at the White House, Aug. 12, 2025, in Washington.
Kevin Lamarque/Reuters
