Measures to End Cashless Bail and Enforce the Law in the District of Columbia

SummaryThe Executive Order “Measures to End Cashless Bail and Enforce the Law in the District of Columbia,” dated August 25, 2025, asserts that the District’s cashless‑bail policies have contributed to a crime emergency that impedes federal operations and endangers public safety, and directs a coordinated federal response. It instructs federal law enforcement and members of the D.C. Safe and Beautiful Task Force to prioritize holding arrestees in federal custody and pursuing federal charges and pretrial detention for defendants who pose clear threats to public safety; directs the Attorney General to review Metropolitan Police Department policies that may facilitate unwarranted pretrial release and to request necessary updates from the D.C. Mayor; requires the Attorney General to determine whether D.C. maintains a prohibition on cash bail for cases involving significant public‑safety risks and to update that determination as policies change; and authorizes agency heads, in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget, to identify and undertake lawful actions—including adjustments to federal funding or services—to press the District to modify cashless‑bail practices, all subject to applicable law, available appropriations, and standard severability and implementation provisions.