Trump to Noem: Don’t intervene in protests
WASHINGTON—President Donald Trump said on Saturday that he has instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem not to intervene in protests occurring in cities led by Democrats unless local authorities ask for federal help amid mounting criticism of his administration’s immigration crackdown.
On his social media site, Trump posted that “under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run Democrat Cities with regard to their Protests and/or Riots unless, and until, they ask us for help.”
He provided no further details on how his order would affect operations by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and Department of Homeland Security (DHS) personnel or other federal agencies, but added: “We will, however, guard and very powerfully so, any and all Federal buildings that are being attacked by these highly paid Lunatics, Agitators and Insurrectionists.”
Democratic areas
Trump said that in addition to his instructions to Noem he had directed “ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property.”
The Trump administration has already deployed the National Guard or federal law enforcement officials, in a number of Democratic areas, including Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland, Oregon. But Saturday’s order comes as opposition to such tactics has grown, particularly in Minnesota’s Twin Cities region.
Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul have challenged a federal immigration enforcement surge in those cities, arguing that DHS is violating constitutional protections.
‘Legally frivolous’
A federal judge says she won’t halt enforcement operations as the lawsuit proceeds. State and local officials had sought a quick order to halt the enforcement action or limit its scope. Justice department lawyers have called the lawsuit “legally frivolous.”
The state, particularly Minneapolis, has been on edge after federal officers fatally shot Renee Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti on Jan. 24. Thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest the federal action in Minnesota and across the country.
Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, has suggested the reduction of the number of immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota.
