Bottom: Federal agents in body armor and camouflage detain a masked person before placing him in an unmarked van in Portland, Oregon, July 2020.[1][2]
In June 2020, the Trump administration began deploying federal law enforcement forces to select cities in the United States in response to rioting and monument removals amid the George Floyd protests. Federal law enforcement elements were deployed under Operation Legend,[3][4] Operation Diligent Valor,[5][6] and the Protecting American Communities Task Force (PACT).[7][8] The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) cited an executive order regarding "monuments, memorials and statues" as allowing federal officers to be deployed without the permission of individual U.S. states,[9] as the federal government "has the right to enforce federal laws, investigate crimes and make arrests" within states.[10]
On June 1, 2020, in Washington, D.C., federal law enforcement deployed riot control tactics and munitions against protesters to expand a security perimeter, which allowed for President Donald Trump to later walk from the White House to the historic St. John's Episcopal Church, Lafayette Square for a brief photo op.[11] Days later, anonymous federal personnel in tactical and riot gear began to appear on D.C. streets, with many refusing to identify themselves.[12] In July 2020, federal forces were deployed in Portland, Oregon as part of the PACT, where their use of unmarked cars and officers in camouflage without clear identification badges generated outrage.[13][14] DHS officials defended the use of unmarked vehicles and unidentified officers in camouflage; acting DHS deputy secretary Ken Cuccinelli said "Unmarked police vehicles are so common it's barely worth discussion" and that officers wore the same uniforms and equipment each day, so demonstrators could nevertheless identify them.[14]
Federal details were also deployed to Kansas City and Seattle. DHS had plans to send 150 agents to Chicago and President Trump had threatened future deployments to other cities "run by liberal Democrats," including Oakland, California and New York.[9] According to a Government Accountability Office report released in September 2020 and based on self-reported data, tactical teams from 16 federal agencies were deployed to multiple cities in May and June alone, including Los Angeles, San Diego, and San Francisco, CA; Denver, CO; Washington, DC; Miami, FL; Detroit and Port Huron, MI; St. Louis, MO; Buffalo and New York City, NY; Dallas, El Paso, Houston, and Pearland, TX; and Seattle and Tacoma, WA.[15][16]
The deployment was met with lawsuits, rebukes, and concerns over constitutionality.[17] In May 2021, Trump's successor Joe Biden revoked the executive order that allowed for federal prosecution of individuals that vandalized federal monuments.[18]
- ^ Raymond, Adam K; Danner, Chas (July 17, 2020). "Unidentified Federal Agents Are Detaining Protesters in Portland". nymag.com. Retrieved July 25, 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:8was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Sweet, Lynn (July 22, 2020). "Trump to send federal agents to Chicago as part of 'Operation Legend' to help local cops, not patrol Portland-style". Chicago Sun-Times. Archived from the original on March 11, 2021. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Liptik, Kevin (July 22, 2020). "Trump set to expand federal policing effort to Chicago and Albuquerque". CNN. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
:7was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Cite error: The named reference
:9was invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Homeland Security Dept. forms task force to protect federal monuments over July Fourth weekend - UPI.com". UPI. Retrieved April 29, 2023.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
DHSannouncementwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ a b "Trump threatens to send officers to more US cities". BBC News. July 21, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ "Does Trump have the right to send in federal forces?". BBC News. September 2, 2020. Retrieved November 21, 2020.
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
Clearedwas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ Bump, Philip (June 4, 2020). "A dangerous new factor in an uneasy moment: Unidentified law enforcement officers". Washington Post. Archived from the original on June 3, 2020. Retrieved July 22, 2020.
- ^ Johnson, Martin (July 1, 2020). "DHS deploying new task force to protect monuments ahead of July 4". The Hill.
- ^ a b "Trump says U.S. will crack down on anti-racism protests in Democratic-led U.S. cities". CBC. Thomson Reuters. July 20, 2020. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
- ^ Dinan, Stephen (September 10, 2020). "16 federal agencies sent SWAT teams to deal with protests: Audit". The Washington Times. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- ^ "Federal Tactical Teams: Characteristics, Training, Deployments, and Inventory" (PDF). Government Accountability Office. GAO-20-710. September 2020. Appendix III: Reported Tactical Team Deployments for Civil Unrest and Protests in May and June 2020: pp. 53-56. Retrieved September 18, 2020.
- ^ Golden, Hallie (July 25, 2020). "'That's an illegal order': veterans challenge Trump's officers in Portland". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved July 26, 2020.
- ^ Pettypiece, Shannon (May 14, 2021). "Biden revokes controversial Trump orders on monuments, immigration". NBC News. Retrieved May 15, 2021.
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