Free DC

This is DC's money.

If our current CFO is going to refuse to allocate it, we need a new CFO.

HAPPENING NOW: Thousands of DC high schools students have walked out to demand ICE OUT of our communities. They’re gathering at the Lincoln Memorial in an incredible show of power and unity. #ICEout #endtheoccupation #stopcooperation

Opinion: The SAVE Act Would Disenfranchise Incarcerated Residents For D.C. residents in prison, voting is one of the last connections we have to our communities.

Voting is one of the last connections D.C. residents in prison have to our communities, Robert Barton writes in an opinion piece.

That power is on the brink of being taken away due to two bills working their way through Congress.

The Mayor needs to level with us about MPD collaboration with ICE – and rescind the orders that continue to allow it.

brianneknadeau.com/report-resci...

#EndtheOccupation

Pinto: "Normally I'm a big truster in the process, that there would be an investigation. But we just saw the U.S. Attorney declined to prosecute in a similar situation. So I'm not sure I trust the process that if someone did violate the law that this government would prosecute it."

Carroll: "My assumption, and again this is my assumption, is that Park Police heard the call on our shared channels. And U.S. Marshals were with them."

Pinto: "Is that common? That they would arrive together?"

Carroll: "Not two years ago. But it happens now."

CM Pinto resumes questions.

Pinto: "I want to ask you about Mr. Bailey. Who was called? Why were U.S. Marshals involved?"

Carroll: "My understanding that MPD officers were dispatched. At some point Park Police and U.S. Marshals showed up —"

Pinto: "Wait, why did Park Police and Marshals show up?"

Parker: "We're talking a lot about the finances of the District, and agencies that are overspending. I understand why MPD spends on overtime, but I would love to see more internal controls on how much overtime MPD is using."

Which, to be clear, means MPD is violating the law

CM Parker resumes questioning.

He asks again if MPD could report federal agents making arrests in their presence.

Carroll: "I think that's a bad idea. That's as if you want MPD to collect data about what the federal government is doing."

Parker: "Yes, that is exactly what I'm saying."

Councilmember Doni Crawford takes over questioning.

Crawford: "We've heard the saying that blue protects blue. And that makes it hard for community to trust law enforcement."

Carroll: "Yeah, I mean law enforcement is law enforcement. It was much simpler four years ago, two years ago."

R. White: "If there is federal threat to DC residents, do you have a duty to protect DC residents?"

Carroll: "Absolutely we have a duty to protect DC residents."

R. White: "When there is a use of force by federal law enforcement, should there be a use of force report for MPD?"

Carroll: "No."

R. White: "But if I use force in the street, there's gonna be a report. Why should federal officers be able to do anything they want?"

Carroll: "I didn't say that."

R. White: "If an unarmed man is shot at in DC, do you think someone should be prosecuted for that?"

Carroll: "Yes. And I see where you're going with this line of questioning."

R. White: "Why are you not outraged that this is what has happened?"

Carroll: "Sometimes it happens."

Homeland Security Missions Falter Amid Focus on Deportations

CM Robert White takes over questioning.

White: [Asks several questions about immigration enforcement.] "You're saying that to your knowledge, HSI is not currently doing civil immigration enforcement. Is that right?"

Carroll: "Yes, that's right."

Here's more about whether that's right:

Lewis George: "The incident at DC Bilingual. Was that a traffic stop that became immigration enforcement, or enforcement that just happened?"

Carroll: "I understand that was a traffic stop that became immigration enforcement."

Gasps of bewilderment in the room.

Lewis George: "Ward 4 neighbors are reporting MPD accompany immigration enforcement. This is creating lifelong distrust among an entire generation. What is MPD's current policy about enforcement near sensitive locations like schools?"

Carroll: "MpD dOeS nOt dO dOmEsTiC iMmigRaTiOn eNfOrCeMeNt."

CM Janeese Lewis George takes over questioning.

Lewis George: "On February 11 Julian Bailey was shot and killed by U.S. Marshals." She asks about the sequence of events that day.

Carroll hedges, seems to imply U.S. Marshals and Park Police went out in the neighborhood without MPD after the call.

Parker: "We are hearing day-long testimony that community members are experiencing immigration enforcement. How do you support Appiah's claims that this is not happening?"

Carroll: "There have been two or three high profile incidents on social media. We are not seeing numbers beyond that."

Parker: "In the case of Phillip Brown, it sounds like DC law broken and MPD protocol was also broken."

Carroll gets evasive, attempts to detail a long list of procedures as a way to avoid answering.

Parker: "So it sounds like there has been no investigation."

Carroll: "I can't speak to that."

Parker: "What internal investigation has there been into allegations that Officer Sterling was directed not to report the shooting at Phillip Brown?"

Carroll: "I know we did say we were investigating that, I cannot speak to that at this time."

CM Zachary Parker takes over.

Parker: "We've gotten different answers about whether MPD is cooperating with ICE. How do you account for those discrepancies?"

Carroll: "We do not cooperate with ICE. ICE ERO goes out on their own, they go out with other agencies, we are not on teams together."

Henderson: "So how might federal agents respond to an OUC call before MPD does?"

Carroll: "It sounds like you're responding to a specific incident. It would have to have been an agency who has access to our channels calling out to another agency."

Henderson: "Is it normal that federal agencies have access to MPD scanner channels?"

Carroll: "Yes some federal agencies have access to our channels. Park Police, Secrect Service, Capital Police."

He reported a stolen car. Then ICE arrested him at a police station, he says. DC police face criticism for allegedly assisting ICE in arresting immigrants at police stations

Councilmember Christina Henderson takes over questioning, asks Carroll about accusations that a man got a call from someone who said they were an MPD officer — only to show up at a police station in DC to get arrested by ICE (link below).

Carroll: "That sounds not good. We should investigate that."

Pinto: "Walk us through the crime suppression teams and how decisions are being made about where federal agents go."

Carroll: [Describes multiple teams.] "We don't want federal agents being out in the city on their own. So I think it's in the best interest of the community that we're together."

Pinto presses him on how hard it would be to collect that data on immigration enforcement when MPD is present at the arrest.

Carroll pushes back, makes it sound like tracking the arrests made by federal agents in the presence of MPD officers is an impossible task.

Pinto: "MPD is required to submit a report on January 1 every year on immigration enforcement. To date, we have not received any of those reports. When can you commit to getting us those reports?"

Carroll: "We don't track that information."

Pinto: "DC passed a law in 2021 restricting cooperation with immigration enforcement. Is it MPD's policy to follow that law?"

Carroll: "Yes."

Pinto: "Are you aware of any instances of MPD officers violating that law?"

Carroll: "No."

Cries in the room: "You're under oath!"