President Trump signed an executive order directing federal agencies to find methods for the involuntary hospitalization of homeless individuals with mental illness and addiction. This measure seeks to overturn existing legal precedents that restrict commitment procedures. The order argues that institutionalizing homeless individuals will restore public order, while critics warn it risks reverting to past injustices of unjust institutionalization and fails to address affordable housing. The administration will prioritize funding for mental health courts, limiting resources for harm reduction initiatives amid significant budget cuts.
An executive order signed Thursday pushes federal agencies to overturn state and federal legal precedent that limits how local and state governments can involuntarily commit people who pose a risk to themselves or others.
'The safest communities are those with the most housing and resources, not those that make it a crime to be poor or sick,' Jesse Rabinowitz said.
Trump's order instructs agencies to prioritize funding to mental health and drug courts - and to not fund 'harm reduction' programs that facilitate illegal drug use.
Critics immediately warned such policy threatens returning the nation to a darker era when people were often unjustly locked away in mental health institutions.
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