US president Donald Trump signs orders aimed at ending cashless bail policies

U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order on Monday that seeks to end cashless bail by threatening to revoke federal funding for jurisdictions that use it, part of a White House effort to push crime fighting to the top of the national agenda.

Trump signed a separate order that instructs police in Washington, D.C. to charge suspects with federal crimes and hold them in federal custody to avoid cashless bail, according to a fact sheet seen by Reuters.

"Cashless bail, we're ending it. But we're starting by ending it in D.C. and that we have the right to do through federalization," Trump said during a signing ceremony in the White House.


Trump has seized control of the police force in Washington and is allowing National Guard troops to carry weapons
while on patrol in the city. He is also threatening to expand the U.S. military presence to Democratically-controlled cities like Baltimore and Chicago.

Critics have slammed the administration's actions as unnecessary overreach.

The focus on crime is seen as a preview of how Trump and his fellow Republicans plan to use the issue as they seek to retain control of both houses of Congress in the midterm elections next year.

Cashless bail is a system where defendants are released from jail while awaiting trial based on their promise to appear in court, rather than by paying a specific cash amount.

Critics of the policy say it reduces the incentive for defendants to show up for trial and puts public safety at risk by allowing them back on the street. Supporters say many low-income people can't afford to post bond.

The nationwide executive order directs U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi to submit a list of local and state jurisdictions with cashless bail policies and identify federal funds in those places that could be "suspended or terminated," according to a White House fact sheet.

The order aimed at D.C. calls for Bondi to identify potential actions that include restricting federal funding, services and approvals, according to the fact sheet.

Trump promised to take on cashless bail as part of his tough-on-crime approach in the 2024 presidential race.

He previewed his support for ending cashless bail in D.C. earlier this month. When he announced his decision to temporarily federalize the police force in Washington, he called the policy a "disaster."

The nation's capital was one of the first U.S. cities to largely eliminate cash bail in the 1990s. Under the city's policy, a judge assesses whether a defendant should be released from jail based on their risk of not showing up for trial.

Illinois also has eliminated cash bail. Some other states, including New York, California and New Jersey, have scaled it back.