House Passes Bill Lowering Age Suspects Can Be Charged As Adults In DC
House Passes Bill Lowering Age Suspects Can Be Charged As Adults In DC
The Republican-led House has approved two critical bills aimed at curbing juvenile crime in Washington, D.C., and is scheduled to take up two additional related measures in the near future.
The D.C. CRIMES Act lowers the maximum age for trying offenders as juveniles from 24 to 18. It also requires sentences to match adult mandatory minimums and directs the city to publish public data on youth crime.
The second bill, the Juvenile Sentencing Reform Act, permits minors as young as 14 to be tried as adults for serious offenses. While both measures drew some Democratic support, the Reform Act passed by a slimmer margin than the CRIMES Act.
“Fully grown legal adults in the District of Columbia can receive sentences meant for children. That is simply insane,” said CRIME Act sponsor Rep. Byron Donalds, a Florida Republican.
The legislation is part of a broader package of about a dozen House measures advanced as President Trump deployed the National Guard and called on federal agencies, including the DEA and ICE, to address violent crime and illegal immigration in Washington, D.C.
Bills that pass the House will head to the Republican-controlled Senate, where their prospects remain unclear. In 2023, however, the Senate did approve a House measure blocking the District from easing criminal penalties — a bill later signed by then-President Joe Biden.
“I support D.C. Statehood and home-rule, but I don’t support some of the changes D.C. Council put forward over the Mayor’s objections such as lowering penalties for carjackings,” Biden tweeted.
District residents elect their own local lawmakers, but under the 1973 Home Rule Act, Congress retains broad oversight of the D.C. government.
According to reports, the two bills set for House consideration Wednesday would permit police to physically pursue suspects in certain cases and curb the District’s role in approving local judicial appointments — further fueling debate over the city’s criminal justice autonomy.
Trump last year called up elements of the DC National Guard and surged federal agents into the nation’s capital in a bid to drive down criminal activity.
In the first week after the White House assumed control of Washington, D.C.’s police force, the city recorded a modest drop in reported crime but a sharp increase in immigration-related arrests, according to a CNN analysis of government data.
For the week beginning August 12 — the first full week under federal control — property crimes fell by about 19 percent compared to the week prior, while violent crime dropped 17 percent, based on the most recent Metropolitan Police Department statistics.
The trends varied by category. Robberies and car break-ins fell by more than 40 percent, while thefts remained flat. Burglary cases rose 6 percent, and assaults with a dangerous weapon increased 14 percent. Two homicides occurred during the period, consistent with recent weeks, though none have been reported since August 13.
Federal agencies have embedded with local police, assisting in arrests, searches, and warrant executions while patrolling the city in unmarked vehicles, CNN noted further.
At the same time, immigration enforcement surged. Since August 7, federal officials have arrested about 300 individuals in the district without legal immigration status — more than ten times the typical weekly number of ICE arrests in the city, CNN found.
In response to CNN’s report, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson stated that the media was attempting to dismiss the “exceptional results” of Trump’s efforts in Washington, D.C.
“The drops in crime are not ‘moderate,’ they are life-changing for the countless of DC residents and visitors who have not been murdered, robbed, carjacked, or victims of overall violent crime in the last week,” Jackson said. “The priority of this operation remains getting violent criminals off the streets — regardless of immigration status.”
Feds Probe AOC For Employing Illegal Alien, Helping Migrants Evade ICE
Border Czar Tom Homan announced that he has officially opened a federal investigation into Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) over allegations that she employed an undocumented immigrant on her staff and assisted other illegal aliens in evading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents.
The Trump administration is investigating Ocasio-Cortez for two alleged offenses: employing an undocumented immigrant who subsequently assisted another individual in evading ICE. In an interview with conservative podcaster Benny Johnson, Homan stated that he has instructed the agency to pursue legal action against her.
“It’s being looked at (AOC employing illegal alien), can’t comment past that. I’m aware of it, we’ve asked ICE to drill in on that case,” Homan said. “As far as her educating people how to evade ICE arrests, she’s really educating them on how to avoid prosecution. Because there are statutes on the books when you knowingly hinder your removal, that’s a crime.”
Johnson questioned how an undocumented immigrant could have secured employment in Congress and potentially gained access to classified information.
“It is not possible,” Homan stressed, emphasizing that the congresswoman will be held accountable if such claims are accurate.
In March, Diego de la Vega voluntarily left the U.S. amid intensified deportation efforts by the Trump administration, citing concerns for his safety. He became politically active in 2010 when he supported the DREAM Act, legislation that sought to create a pathway to legal status for undocumented immigrants brought to the country as children.
Although the bill narrowly failed in the Senate by five votes, de la Vega, despite his undocumented status, worked as a “special assistant” to former Harlem Assemblymember Robert J. Rodriguez and interned for Representative Carolyn Maloney (D), the report added.
In 2022, de la Vega was appointed Deputy Communications Director by Ocasio-Cortez. In an interview with Migrant Insider, AOC praised him, saying, “Diego is amazing.”
Homan sent an email to the deputy attorney general requesting an investigation into Ocasio-Cortez.
That came shortly after reports emerged that the New York Democrat was hosting seminars teaching undocumented immigrants how to avoid ICE enforcement.
Following Homan’s email to the DOJ, AOC revealed that the Trump administration had yet to answer her requests about whether she is under federal investigation.
“I’ve asked them, they haven’t responded to me,” Ocasio-Cortez told Fox News. “But you know, I was once again fully using the First Amendment to inform people of their constitutional rights. They say a lot of things, but I’ve written a formal letter, and they won’t respond.”
The congresswoman organized a “Know Your Rights” webinar earlier this year, in which lawyers advised illegal immigrants on how to respond to interactions with US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) authorities.
The internet forum, held in both English and Spanish, provided legal advice and distributed papers, including one declaring that immigrants “do not have to open the door” for ICE officials unless they had a judge-signed warrant.
Ocasio-Cortez’s office also supplied information on how to receive pro bono legal assistance and urged undocumented people to sign privacy release forms, which would allow her office to interfere in deportation proceedings.
Trump Warns New York Mayor-Elect Mamdani: ‘We’ll Have To Arrest Him’
Trump Warns New York Mayor-Elect Mamdani: ‘We’ll Have To Arrest Him’
President Donald Trump on Wednesday addressed sharp criticism from Zohran Mamdani, who defeated disgraced former Gov. Andrew Cuomo in New York City’s mayoral race. Mamdani, a democratic socialist, ordered the president during his fiery victory speech to “turn the volume up.”
“I think it’s a very dangerous statement for him to make,” Trump told Fox News host Bret Baier. “He has to be a little bit respectful of Washington, because if he’s not, he doesn’t have a chance of succeeding. And I want to make him succeed.” He quickly clarified, “I want to make the city succeed, I don’t want to make him succeed.”
Trump has frequently attacked the progressive candidate throughout his campaign, which focused on affordable housing and expanding social safety nets. Mamdani faced racist attacks from critics before defeating Cuomo, whom Trump had endorsed.
In his victory speech Tuesday, Mamdani called Trump a “despot” who has “betrayed” the nation. He urged his supporters to use their votes and voices to “stop the next Trump” by “dismantling the very conditions that allowed him to accumulate power.”
“I thought it was a very angry speech,” Trump told Baier. “Certainly angry toward me, and I think he should be nice to me. I’m sort of the one that has to approve a lot of things coming to him, so he’s off to a bad start.”
Supporters countered that Mamdani, 34, is off to a great start as the first Muslim and South Asian mayor in city history, and its youngest in more than a century.
“Look, for thousands of years communism has not worked. Communism, or the concept of communism, has not worked. I tend to doubt it will work this time,” Trump said. He added that he was “torn” by Mamdani’s win due to his “love” for New York City, saying he “would like to see the new mayor do well.”
When asked if he’s thought about reaching out, Trump replied, “I would say he needs to reach out to us, really. I’m here. We’ll see what happens, but I would think it would be more appropriate for him to reach out to us.”
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In June, when asked about Mamdani’s vow to “stop masked ICE agents from deporting our neighbors,” Trump said, “Well then, we’ll have to arrest him.”
“Look, we don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over him very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump added.
Trump Admin Wildly Surpasses Biden Energy Record In Matter of Months
The White House marked the one-year anniversary of the National Energy Dominance Council (NEDC) on Saturday, February 14, 2026, touting a massive surge in U.S. energy production that has fundamentally reshaped the global market in just over twelve months.
Interior Secretary Doug Burgum, who chairs the Council alongside Energy Secretary Chris Wright, presented data showing that U.S. output has not only eclipsed the previous administration’s peaks but has done so at a pace federal officials are calling "unprecedented."
Record-Breaking Production Levels
The administration's "Energy Dominance" agenda, codified by executive order exactly one year ago, has driven U.S. crude oil production to a record 13.6 million barrels per day in 2025. By comparison, it took the Biden administration nearly four years to move production from 11.3 million to 13.2 million barrels—a threshold the current administration cleared in its first few months.
Natural gas output has seen a similar vertical climb. In November 2025, production reached 110.1 billion cubic feet per day, the highest level since federal tracking began in 1973. This represents an 8% increase over the previous administration's average.
“Gasoline prices have fallen to some of the lowest levels in years, permitting has been streamlined, and American energy exports are surging,” Secretary Burgum told Fox News Digital. “These achievements mean real savings for families, farmers, and small businesses.”
Surging Global Influence and LNG Exports
The U.S. has significantly widened its lead as the world’s premier liquefied natural gas (LNG) exporter. Average LNG exports rose to 15.1 billion cubic feet per day in 2025, a sharp jump from the 11.9 billion recorded in late 2024.
This surge is credited to the Council's aggressive focus on "unleashing" American resources through:
Regulatory Rollbacks: Modernizing financial risk evaluations to free up billions for offshore exploration.
Permitting Speed: The Department of the Interior has approved 63.7% more Federal and Indian drilling permits compared to the previous administration over the same period.
Infrastructure Investment: New agreements with a bipartisan group of governors to advance over $15 billion in power-generation projects.
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The Economic Impact: Addressing Affordability
A central pillar of the NEDC's mission is to use energy abundance as a tool against inflation. While recent Middle East tensions have caused temporary spikes in crude prices, the administration maintains that the expanded domestic grid and increased output are the only long-term solutions to lowering transportation and grocery costs.
Secretary Burgum reaffirmed the administration’s commitment to "conservation abundance," arguing that environmental stewardship and fossil fuel development are not mutually exclusive. As the U.S. enters the second year of this policy, the White House expects to export four billion more cubic feet of natural gas per day than in 2024—a 33% increase.
