FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Tuesday, September 9, 2025
Contact:
Tim Whitehouse (240) 247-0299 [email protected]
Park Service Illegally Dumped Property Following Homeless Sweep
Federal Regulations Governing Disposal of Property on Park Lands Ignored
Washington, DC — The National Park Service (NPS) violated its own regulations in handling property seized during homeless sweeps of Washington, DC, parks in August, according to a complaint filed today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER). Rather than impounding and inventorying the property NPS took into possession while clearing an estimated 48 homeless encampments, the material was placed in dump trucks and hauled away.
Federal regulations require that for any property seized or abandoned on NPS property, the agency must –
- Impound the property, safeguard it, and make an effort to identify the owner;
- Hold the property for 60 days so that the owner can claim important items; and
- After the 60-day-time period, dispose of it safely and in compliance with federal rules.
NPS appeared to follow none of these steps. Instead, the material was loaded into garbage trucks, presumably for dumping in a landfill.
“Although President Trump has expressed his disdain for the homeless, rules to protect people’s property apply to those without housing as much as anyone else,” stated PEER Executive Director Tim Whitehouse, a former senior enforcement attorney with the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, noting that NPS was acting under White House orders as part of a larger effort to “beautify” Washington, DC.
Notably, the U.S. Interagency Council on Homelessness was eliminated back in April as one of the first DOGE casualties. The ultimate efficacy of the Trump-ordered homeless sweeps has yet to be determined.
PEER is asking the Office of the Inspector General for the Department of the Interior (the parent agency for NPS) to identify which officials ordered the disposal of the property removed from the encampments; whether these officials were aware their actions were illegal; and what measures should be taken to avoid future violations.
Meanwhile, on August 25th, the Interior Secretary placed the U.S. Park Police under his direct control for the first time, citing its responsibilities “beyond National Park System assets…” There is currently no NPS Director and President Trump has yet to nominate one. The Park Police is the nation’s oldest constabulary (established under George Washington), patrolling all DC area parks and parkways, with officers in New York and San Francisco, among other locales.
“As we also saw during the first Trump term, there is cause for concern that the Park Service and Park Police will be used as props in politically fraught situations,” Whitehouse added, referencing Trump’s response to demonstrations in 2020 following George Floyd’s death. “Unfortunately, our national park system is again forced to function as a political football.”
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Look at the regulation requiring property impoundment and inventorying
See Secretarial Order assuming direct command of U.S. Park Police
PEER protects public employees who protect our environment. We are a service organization for environmental and public health professionals, land managers, scientists, enforcement officers and other civil servants dedicated to upholding environmental laws and values. We work with current and former federal, state, local and tribal employees.
