President Donald Trump on Thursday signed an executive order aimed at clearing homeless encampments from city streets, directing federal agencies to support local crackdowns on urban camping, drug use, and loitering.
The order empowers Attorney General Pam Bondi to overturn legal constraints on removing homeless individuals and reallocates federal resources toward rehab and mental health facilities.
San Diego County Supervisor Jim Desmond applauds @POTUS' Executive Order on the homelessness crisis:
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) July 25, 2025
"I'm ecstatic! Finally, we're going to get to the root causes of homelessness." pic.twitter.com/bvfiejetOE
Joined by HHS Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, HUD Secretary Scott Turner, and Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy, Trump aims to fast-track aid to cities enforcing stricter policies. “We can’t have tents outside the White House when world leaders visit,” Trump said Friday.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said the plan balances public safety with compassion.
But critics, including the National Coalition for the Homeless, condemned the order as punitive and counterproductive. The move follows a Supreme Court ruling upholding cities’ rights to ban sleeping in public spaces, intensifying the national debate over how to solve homelessness.
