A federal judge tore into the way President Trump took over Washington, D.C.’s police force, calling his actions illegal and unconstitutional.
The judge slammed a recent search of Torez Riley, a Black man stopped while walking into a Trader Joe’s. Local police, backed by federal agents, stopped Riley, searched his bag, and found guns. But the judge said the stop had no legal basis and was done only because of Riley’s skin color.
“This is absolutely maddening,” said Judge Zia M. Faruqui Monday in court. He didn’t hesitate to call out the “lawlessness” he’s seen since Trump declared a crime emergency and put federal agents in charge of D.C. policing.
“The Sixth Amendment doesn’t get thrown out the window because the government has decided to make a show of arresting people,” Faruqui said. That amendment protects basic rights in criminal cases.
Trump took control of D.C.’s police on August 11, despite violent crime being at a 30-year low. Since then, federal agencies like Homeland Security and the FBI have joined local police to make arrests and detain immigrants. But residents and officials say this is just a show of force, not real crime fighting.
The judge has seen many cases where evidence was thrown out because of illegal searches. He said prosecutors act like they want to “charge first, ask questions later.” And he called the whole operation “some big celebration” that is “fundamentally damaging to our city.”
“Lawlessness cannot come from the government,” Faruqui said. “We’re pushing the boundaries here. We’re beyond the boundaries and something is going to have to break.”
Riley was arrested August 18 after officers spotted him with a bag. They said his behavior looked like he was hiding a gun and searched him. They found two unlicensed handguns. But Riley’s lawyer said federal agents swarmed the arrest, making it clear this was more than a local police stop.
Faruqui said the guns don’t matter here. “It was irrelevant” because the search was illegal. Speaking directly to Riley, the judge said he understood why Riley carried guns for protection but warned it was dangerous.
“The police are out there looking for everybody, and it seems they’re looking for people that look like you,” Faruqui told Riley. “You can’t go into a grocery store without getting stopped and illegally searched. Do you understand?”
The government dropped the case Monday, admitting it wasn’t fair. Inside the U.S. attorney’s office, some prosecutors were upset, saying the search violated the Fourth Amendment, which protects against illegal searches.
Trump and D.C. U.S. Attorney Jeanine Pirro have boasted about arrests topping 1,000 since the takeover. But many are for minor offenses or immigration issues. Immigrant workers have stayed home to avoid trouble with police.
Riley’s wife, who is pregnant, said he missed work and she struggled to care for their kids alone. She was glad the case was dismissed but said, “He was just walking into Trader Joe’s to get some food,” said Riley’s public defender.
Faruqui apologized for the government’s actions but said it didn’t help. He warned Riley’s arrest would stay on his record forever, causing problems even though the case was dropped.
“This is on your record forever,” the judge said. “The seven days you spent in jail, nothing can undo that.”
He praised the prosecutor who dropped the case, saying the justice system needs lawyers who know the law.
“If the system is going to crumble, the last line of defense will be people like you,” Faruqui said. “Once you leave, we’re totally cooked.”
