The US President Donald Trump He signed on Thursday (25.07.2025) Executive Decree calling on states and municipal authorities to dismantle camps homeless and carry those who live there to centers of treatment or detox.
According to the text of the decree signed by Donald Trump, US Minister of Justice Pam Bodi undertakes to overturn legally at federal and state level in order to facilitate the removal of the homeless. It remains unclear, however, how it could do it legally.
The decree comes following a decision by the US Supreme Court in 2024, which allowed municipalities to prohibit homeless camps in public places.
‘Criminalization of poverty’ complain about organizations
The National Coalition for the Homeless Organization denounced the decree, arguing that it undermines legal protections for homeless people and people with mental illness. He accused the Trump government of a “worrying history”, stressing that he systematically violates political rights and legal guarantees.
For its part, National Homelessness Law Center described the arrangement as “unethical, ineffective and illegal”, warning that it would lead to increased homeless people and deprive the most vulnerable resources.
Many organizations estimate that the decree promotes the criminalization of poverty, pushing people out of the streets without predicting an alternative housing.
Deep roots crisis
The decree does not provide for the extension of hosting infrastructure, nor the creation of an affordable housing in the long run. On the contrary, it freezes funding for controlled substance use and favors cities that apply bans on camps, drug use and occupations.
According to official figures, in 2024 homeless people in the US exceeded 770,000, a number increased by 18%. 36% of them lived on the street, in vehicles or improvised camps.
Experts recall that the homeless crisis began in the 1960s and 1970s, when psychiatric institutions were massively closed without such funding for Community care. Adding to this is the lack of accessible housing, the increase in poverty and the cuts in social programs.