With growing surveillance and patrols to make D.C. “streets safer,” residents in the area feel the exact opposite. National Guard troops have continued to expand their presence throughout various checkpoints in popular areas of D.C., including those of the National Mall and Union Station. Although neighborhoods specifically like Columbia Heights seem to be facing turmoil.
Individuals residing in this neighborhood have expressed their thoughts. According to NBC, 38-year-old mother of four and El Salvadoran owner of her own newly opened restaurant, Margarita, shared, “It feels like a different D.C.” She has repeatedly expressed the recent effect that the national guard’s presence has had on her employees. In addition, Margarita did not want to disclose her last name to the public for fear of getting targeted by ICE. “Trump vowed to make Washington streets safer. In one neighborhood, people feel less safe than ever,” reported NBC.
Businesses in the Columbia Heights area shared their thoughts, “Everything has stopped over the last week,” said Yassin Yahyaoui, who sells jewelry and glass figurines, quoting that many of his customers have “just disappeared.” This neighborhood was once a quite popular outlet for small businesses and vendors to thrive, although, with the force of the federal law being in effect, over 1,000 arrests in D.C took place. Since the federal crackdown on August 11, a significant portion of National Guard deployment has occurred in the Columbia Heights neighborhood, leaving residents extremely vulnerable.
The visible tension between enforcement and community trust raises critical questions about whose safety is truly being prioritized and at what cost. Until voices like Margarita’s and Yassin’s are genuinely heard, the divide between policy and lived experience will only deepen.
