WASHINGTON

Agents from the US State Department’s Diplomatic Security Service (DSS), which is normally tasked with protecting American diplomats and embassies abroad, have begun patrolling Washington, DC as part of President Donald Trump’s push to crack down on crime, according to a report Tuesday.

In a statement to the New York Times, the State Department said the DSS was “actively partnering with the Metropolitan Police Department and other law enforcement to provide interagency support in the ongoing mission to deter and reduce crime in the District of Columbia.”

It added that the service “routinely assesses its priorities and job functions based on the administration’s strategic interests” while maintaining its global security mission.

According to the report, at least one diplomatic security officer played a leading role in an Aug. 19 arrest when a DSS officer helped detain Mark Bigelow, 28, who was charged with resisting and assaulting federal officers.

DSS agents have been deputized to assist US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in arresting and deporting immigrants, it reported.

Critics argue that the move represents an overreach by federal agencies, with Elizabeth Mullin, a federal public defender representing Bigelow, calling it a politically driven “federal occupation” of the city.