President Donald J. Trump signed an executive order to end widespread street homelessness, calling on states to move vagrants, addicts, and the mentally ill into treatment centers.
The details: In an executive order titled “Ending Crime and Disorder on America’s Streets,” Trump redirected federal funding to prioritize institutional care—including substance abuse facilities, civil commitment, and long-term facilities.
- States and cities that crack down on street camping, drug use, and squatting will get grant priority.
Zoom out: Roughly 274,000 people were sleeping on the streets last year under the Biden regime. And “tent cities” have popped up in many Democrat-run areas, plagued by open-air drug use, crime, and squalor.
What’s the big deal? It’s a public safety issue. According to the order, the “overwhelming majority of these individuals are addicted to drugs, have a mental health disorder, or both.” Roughly two-thirds are taking hard drugs like meth and other opioids.
- Failing to address it leaves other citizens vulnerable to “disorderly behavior, sudden confrontations, and violent attacks.”
What does the law say? Last year, the Supreme Court ruled 6-3 that cities have the right to issue fines to people who camp on public property.
What the White House is saying: Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said, “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.”
Real talk from G: We should be compassionate towards the homeless. But enabling them is not compassionate.
