Trump’s DC crime operation ‘puts safety of families first’ as arrests surge past 1,800: FBI director

Republican lawmaker touts FBI surge in St. Louis: 'People are tired of broken glass'

Sen. Eric Schmitt, R-Mo., joins 'Fox & Friends Weekend' to discuss a historic FBI surge to fight violent crime in St. Louis and preview his new book 'The Last Line of Defense.'

FBI Director Kash Patel said President Donald Trump’s "'Make DC Safe Again' operation is delivering real results," announcing on Thursday the initiative surpassed 1,800 arrests with dozens of guns and drugs seized in recent days.

From Wednesday to Thursday morning, FBI agents reported 28 arrests, 12 gun recoveries, 10 drug seizures, and 80 total arrests by federal partners.

Patel said the crackdown is taking violent criminals off the streets and restoring law and order.

"President Trump’s ‘Make DC Safe Again’ operation is delivering real results," Patel said. "By working hand-in-hand with our federal, state and local partners, we are taking violent criminals off the streets and restoring law and order in our nation’s capital. This is exactly what it looks like when the federal government puts the safety of American families first."

Members of the U.S. Secret Service and the FBI detain a man outside the New York Avenue Presbyterian Church in Washington, D.C., Aug. 14.  (Reuters/Nathan Howard)

DC ATTORNEY GENERAL SUES TRUMP OVER NATIONAL GUARD 'INVOLUNTARY MILITARY OCCUPATION'

Trump federalized D.C.'s Metropolitan Police Department on Aug. 11 for 30 days under the District of Columbia Home Rule Act. 

Army Secretary Dan Driscoll in a memo on Wednesday extended the mobilization through Nov. 30.

The federalization was set to expire next week, and an extension seemingly needed to be approved by Congress.

Army Sec. Dan Driscoll said he extended the action in D.C. (Spc. Luke Sullivan/75th Ranger Regiment)

DC ARRESTS SURPASS 1,000 AS TRUMP-BACKED CRACKDOWN ENTERS 12TH HOMICIDE-FREE DAY

About 30 minutes after Patel released the latest figures, D.C. Attorney General Brian Schwalb shared on X that he filed a lawsuit to curb the administration's efforts in the nation's capital, arguing the deployment of 2,300 armed National Guard troops under federal command is unlawful.

"D.C. did not request or consent to the deployment of National Guard troops. Yet there are 2,300 National Guardsmen on our streets in military gear, carrying weapons, and driving armored vehicles," Schwalb wrote in the post.

A U.S. military member holds a child near the Lincoln Memorial in Washington, D.C., Aug. 14.  (Reuters/Jose Luis Gonzalez)

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He added the deployment violates the Posse Comitatus Act, threatens democracy and civil liberties, and damages D.C.’s economy and public trust.

The White House defended the action, saying the president acted within his authority and that the operation has been effective in combating violent crime.

Alexandra Koch is a Fox News Digital journalist who covers breaking news, with a focus on high-impact events that shape national conversation.

She has covered major national crises, including the L.A. wildfires, Potomac and Hudson River aviation disasters, Boulder terror attack, and Texas Hill Country floods.