The Interior Department is deputizing federal border agents and sending them to National Park Service sites amid the federal law enforcement takeover of Washington, D.C., Interior Secretary Doug Burgum said Wednesday.
Burgum wrote in a post on the social platform X that the department “has authorized a service-wide deputization” of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officers to “intensify crime deterrence efforts” at park service sites.
He did not explicitly say whether the action only applied to the District, but he did write, “Thank you to these brave officers who are working 24/7 to enforce @POTUS’ directive to make D.C. safe again!”
The Interior Department and CBP did not immediately respond to additional questions from The Hill.
The move comes as federal law enforcement agents, including immigration authorities, have swarmed the nation’s capital. CBP officials have been among them, though the agency is typically in charge of border security.
Washington is home to many National Park Service sites, which typically fall under the jurisdiction of the U.S. Park Police. This includes both tourist-heavy spots like the National Mall and Ford’s Theatre, as well as ones that are typically frequented by locals, such as DuPont Circle, Logan Circle and Rock Creek and Meridian Hill parks.
It’s not clear where exactly the CBP agents will be located or how many of them there will be.
Rebecca Beitsch contributed.
