task0778
Diamond Member
In a letter to Attorney General William Barr and acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf on Tuesday, the mayors voiced their “deep concern and objection to the deployment of federal forces in U.S. cities.”
“The unilateral deployment of these forces into American cities is unprecedented and violates fundamental constitutional protections and tenets of federalism,” the mayors wrote. “Deployment of federal forces in the streets of our communities has not been requested nor is it acceptable.”
Signatories to the letter included the mayors of Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Atlanta; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Kansas City, Mo.; Boston; Philadelphia; Denver; Los Angeles; San Jose, Calif.; Oakland, Calif.; Tucson, Ariz.; and Sacramento, Calif.
“t is concerning that federal law enforcement is being deployed for political purposes. The President and his administration continually attack local leadership and amplify false and divisive rhetoric purely for campaign fodder,” they wrote. “Their words and actions have created an environment of fear and mistrust.”
“I’m going to do something — that, I can tell you,” Trump said Monday in response to a question about reports that his administration might send federal law enforcement to other major cities dealing with protests. The president mentioned Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia, among other cities.
The deployments have come under harsh scrutiny from Democrats after officers in Portland were seen grabbing protesters off the street and putting them in unmarked cars.
“These are tactics we expect from an authoritarian regime – not our democracy,” the mayors wrote.
The administration has defended the deployments, saying they are necessary to respond to the rising violence and protect federal property.
“What is occurring in Portland in the early hours of every morning is not peaceful protesting,” Wolf said Tuesday. “We have been forced because of local law enforcement presence to take measures such as arrests to protect our officials.”
thehill.com
To say that deploying federal LEs is done for political purposes may in part be true, but so is inexcusably allowing the riots, burning, and destruction or public and private property by the local and state gov'ts. It's one thing to defend federal property such as the federal courthouse in Portland, but it's totally another to arrest someone who is not attacking or damaging federal property or who is not breaking any federal laws. IOW, federal agents should not be doing LE functions that belong to the locals. Certainly what's happening in Portland and elsewhere is absolutely not peaceful protests, and I doubt very much that the feds are arresting anybody who isn't engaged in rioting and destruction of property. But frankly I do not see the authority for Trump to deploy federal agents where they are not wanted, as long as federal property is not at risk. And if I were Trump I'd totally stay out of any city that requests federal agents to leave and let the fucking place burn to the ground. But I'd make sure they know they ain't getting one dollar of federal tax dollars to rebuild their cities.
“The unilateral deployment of these forces into American cities is unprecedented and violates fundamental constitutional protections and tenets of federalism,” the mayors wrote. “Deployment of federal forces in the streets of our communities has not been requested nor is it acceptable.”
Signatories to the letter included the mayors of Seattle; Portland, Ore.; Atlanta; Chicago; Washington, D.C.; Kansas City, Mo.; Boston; Philadelphia; Denver; Los Angeles; San Jose, Calif.; Oakland, Calif.; Tucson, Ariz.; and Sacramento, Calif.
“t is concerning that federal law enforcement is being deployed for political purposes. The President and his administration continually attack local leadership and amplify false and divisive rhetoric purely for campaign fodder,” they wrote. “Their words and actions have created an environment of fear and mistrust.”
“I’m going to do something — that, I can tell you,” Trump said Monday in response to a question about reports that his administration might send federal law enforcement to other major cities dealing with protests. The president mentioned Chicago, New York City and Philadelphia, among other cities.
The deployments have come under harsh scrutiny from Democrats after officers in Portland were seen grabbing protesters off the street and putting them in unmarked cars.
“These are tactics we expect from an authoritarian regime – not our democracy,” the mayors wrote.
The administration has defended the deployments, saying they are necessary to respond to the rising violence and protect federal property.
“What is occurring in Portland in the early hours of every morning is not peaceful protesting,” Wolf said Tuesday. “We have been forced because of local law enforcement presence to take measures such as arrests to protect our officials.”
14 mayors ask feds to stop deploying officers to cities in response to protests
A group of 14 mayors called on the Trump administration to stop deploying federal officers to major cities that have seen large protests in recent months.
To say that deploying federal LEs is done for political purposes may in part be true, but so is inexcusably allowing the riots, burning, and destruction or public and private property by the local and state gov'ts. It's one thing to defend federal property such as the federal courthouse in Portland, but it's totally another to arrest someone who is not attacking or damaging federal property or who is not breaking any federal laws. IOW, federal agents should not be doing LE functions that belong to the locals. Certainly what's happening in Portland and elsewhere is absolutely not peaceful protests, and I doubt very much that the feds are arresting anybody who isn't engaged in rioting and destruction of property. But frankly I do not see the authority for Trump to deploy federal agents where they are not wanted, as long as federal property is not at risk. And if I were Trump I'd totally stay out of any city that requests federal agents to leave and let the fucking place burn to the ground. But I'd make sure they know they ain't getting one dollar of federal tax dollars to rebuild their cities.
