Monday, President Donald Trump proposed the idea of sending federal troops to some U.S. cities that have seen continued protests against police brutality since the death of George Floyd in Minneapolis.
The president's comments come after federal officers are accused of arresting protesters off the streets in unmarked vans. This move has concerned Congressional leaders and prompted the state of Oregon to sue the Homeland Security and the Marshals Service.
The complaint says unidentified federal agents have arrested people “without warning or explanation, without a warrant, and without providing any way to determine who is directing this action.”
Trump said the federal officers are doing a "fantastic job" in Portland.
"If the governor's not going to do something about it, we'll do something about," he said of protests in Portland, which he described as tearing the city down.
"We're not going to let New York and Chicago, Philadelphia, Detroit, and Baltimore and all of these, Oakland is a mess. We're not going to let this happen in our country," he said. "We're going to have more federal law enforcement."
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and Attorney General Dana Nessel issued responses to Trump's threat of sending in federal law enforcement to quell protests. Whitmer called his comments "deeply disturbing."
"Quite frankly, the president doesn't know the first thing about Detroit. If he did, he would know that for nearly two months now, Detroiters have gathered to peacefully protest the systemic racism and discrimination that Black Americans face every day. There is no reason for the president to send federal troops into a city where people are demanding change peacefully and respectfully," her statement read in part.
The actions of federal law enforcement in Portland have prompted Democratic House leaders to ask for an investigation.
Nessel said Trump's threat undermines "peace and stability" in communities, by escalating tensions and threatening states' rights.
"President Trump’s politically motivated threat to send ‘more federal law enforcement’ to Detroit, among other cities, has nothing to do with protecting public health or safety. It is about using the power of his office as a cudgel to punish those who use their constitutionally guaranteed rights to express views he disagrees with," her statement said.
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