A federal judge on Friday forced the Justice Department to back away from President Donald Trump’s move to oust Washington, D.C.’s police chief, ruling that Pamela A. Smith will remain in command of the 3,100-member Metropolitan Police Department.

The clash erupted after U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi issued an unprecedented order naming Drug Enforcement Administration chief Terry Cole as head of D.C. police and rescinding the city’s limits on cooperation with federal immigration authorities.

District officials, led by Mayor Muriel Bowser and Attorney General Brian Schwalb, immediately branded the move unlawful and vowed not to comply.

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