U.S. Homeland Security officials are standing by what they say are efforts to bring peace and order to Portland, Oregon, where protests continue without any sign of slowing.
Protesters there have been staging nightly demonstrations since May in a section of downtown that includes the federal courthouse, forcing most businesses in the zone to close.
The protests have grown in recent days, particularly after federal officers described as being in unmarked vans and with generic “police” patches last week detained several people on downtown streets allegedly without identifying themselves — a move some critics have compared to kidnappings.
On Tuesday, Acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf said DHS officers wear camouflage because that’s their uniform when they work on the border, and that federal personnel have been assaulted with lasers, bats, fireworks, bottles and other weapons
He said the people committing the vandalism should not be considered legitimate protesters and had a message for them.
“My message is very simple: If you’re looking to peacefully protest in Portland, the department respects your right to do so. Please do so away from the violent activity that’s taking place near the courthouse on a nightly basis for your own safety. If you are a violent rioter looking to inflict damage to federal property or law enforcement officers, you need to find another line of work. We will not retreat,” he said.
“We will continue to take the appropriate action to protect our facilities and our law enforcement officers,” he added.
Wolf was joined by U.S. Customs and Border Protection Acting Commissioner Mark Morgan and Federal Protective Service Deputy Operations Director Richard “Kris” Cline, who both spoke about the training and tactics of the officers, as well as the number of arrests since the group arrived in Portland.
Morgan joined Wolf by saying they are following protocol and not abusing power.
“You know, ‘unidentified,’ you know, ‘masked storm troopers’: Again, I want to foot stomp on (what) the secretary said: It is offensive, offensive, to refer to these dedicated men and women that are out there as law enforcement professionals— to make that reference. It is disgusting. And it’s also a lie,” Morgan said.
Homeland Security first jumped into the federal response to the Floyd protests in May as some demonstrations erupted into sporadic violence around the country. But effort shifted into high gear over the July Fourth weekend as Homeland Security agents and officers from at least a half a dozen components of the sprawling organization were arriving in Portland.
The Portland deployment, which has included using highly trained Border Patrol agents to confront protesters outside the downtown courthouse, has not been handled with cooperation or consent of local law enforcement or government officials.
Arrests made by federal officers over the July Fourth weekend and several days after were for relatively minor offenses not typically prosecuted in federal court, including misdemeanor assault and disorderly conduct.
Throughout his presidency, President Trump has leaned on Homeland Security to carry out his political objectives, including cracking down on illegal immigration and slowing legal immigration applications. The 240,000-person agency manages border security as well as natural disasters and the Transportation Security Administration.
But with the border largely shuttered because of the coronavirus and the number of illegal crossings plummeting, Trump is now using the department to combat crime and demonstrations demanding justice and racial equality.
The U.S. House Homeland and Judiciary committees have both demanded an investigation.
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