The National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA (NCC) affirms that every human being is created in the imago dei—the image and likeness of God—and deserves to be valued and treated as such. Doing justice, loving mercy, and walking humbly with our God (Micah 6:8) is a mandate for those who profess to serve God.

The current administration’s decision on Monday to federalize the DC Police and deploy the National Guard in our Nation’s Capital to patrol streets and round up people experiencing homelessness is antithetical to that biblical mandate and our ecumenical Christian values. This inhumane action is unnecessary, provocative, and will be ineffective in addressing crime and homelessness in the District.

According to the DC Metropolitan Police Department’s statistics, violent crime is down 26 percent since 2024, after a spike in 2023. Property crimes have decreased by 4 percent. While more work needs to be done in this regard, taking over the DC Police and deploying the National Guard does not make DC safer.

This move reeks of authoritarianism and is deeply vexing. The DC Police takeover for up to 30 days signals an unwillingness on the part of this administration to work with DC’s elected officials to continue their progress in making the Nation’s Capital a safer place to live where all can thrive.

Engaging a federalized police force is especially detrimental in light of the damage done by recent legislation cutting social safety net programs and the elimination of Department of Justice grants for violence interrupters who work in local communities to de-escalate volatile situations. Additionally, using police force to corral people simply because they do not have housing does nothing to provide them with the dignity and support they deserve.

We cannot help but ask: Did Jesus say, “Round up the poor and put them in jail,” or did he call his followers (Matthew 25:35-36) to welcome the stranger, feed the hungry, visit those in prison, and clothe the naked?

Let us not be distracted by misrepresentations and misdirection meant to turn our focus away from the work of compassion and justice to which we are called as people of faith and as a nation.