President Donald Trump says federal agencies will focus solely on defending federal property amid unrest, warning state and local leaders they must formally request assistance before federal intervention.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump said he has directed the Department of Homeland Security not to assist state or local governments in managing protests or riots in Democratic-led cities unless those jurisdictions formally request federal help, outlining a policy he said prioritizes the protection of federal property over local law enforcement support.
In a statement posted on his social media platform, Truth Social, Trump said he instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem that federal authorities would not participate in protest or riot responses in “various poorly run Democrat Cities” without an explicit request from local officials. He said federal resources would instead be deployed to guard “any and all Federal Buildings that are being attacked” by protesters or rioters.
“I have instructed Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, 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,” Trump wrote. “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.”
Trump said he also directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the U.S. Border Patrol to take a forceful posture in defending federal property, adding that assaults on federal officers or vehicles would not be tolerated.
“If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence,” Trump wrote, referring to actions such as spitting on officers or throwing objects at federal vehicles. He added that local governments are responsible for protecting their own property as well as federal buildings, parks and facilities within their jurisdictions.
Trump said his administration would act as a “back up” force if requested and cited recent unrest in Eugene, Oregon, as an example of federal property coming under attack. According to a statement issued by the Eugene Police Department, activity at a federal building in the city was declared a riot after protesters breached the structure and entered the building.
Reporting by Oregon Live said federal officers used tear gas in an effort to prevent demonstrators from entering the facility.
In his post, Trump said federal assistance would be deployed swiftly if requested, pointing to past federal intervention during unrest in Los Angeles. He quoted the city’s police chief at the time as saying, “We couldn’t have done it without the help of the Federal Government.”
“If Local Governments are unable to handle the Insurrectionists, Agitators, and Anarchists, we will immediately go to the location where such help is requested, and take care of the situation very easily and methodically,” Trump wrote. He added that local leaders must explicitly ask for help, saying they must use the word “PLEASE.”
Trump warned that federal agencies, including ICE, Border Patrol and, if necessary, the U.S. military, would act with what he described as extreme force to protect federal property. “We will not allow our Courthouses, Federal Buildings, or anything else under our protection, to be damaged in any way, shape, or form,” he wrote.
The president framed the directive as consistent with his broader policy agenda, writing that he was elected on principles of border control, national security and law and order.
Trump’s comments come amid heightened tensions surrounding federal immigration enforcement during his second term. In a recent interview with Fox News host Will Cain, Trump said his administration was seeking to de-escalate ICE operations in Minnesota, according to a report by Fox News.
The remarks followed a Border Patrol agent-involved shooting that left Alex Pretti, 37, dead. That incident occurred after an earlier fatal shooting involving Renee Good, who authorities said was accused of using her vehicle against ICE agents attempting to free their own vehicle from snow.
Following Pretti’s death, Trump announced he would send Border Czar Tom Homan to Minnesota. Protests and riots targeting federal immigration officers and the administration’s deportation policies have occurred in multiple cities during Trump’s second term, with unrest intensifying after the January shootings of Good and Pretti in Minneapolis.
On Saturday, U.S. District Judge Katherine M. Menendez, an appointee of former President Joe Biden, rejected requests from the state of Minnesota and the cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul seeking to remove federal immigration enforcement from the state, leaving federal operations in place as protests continue.
Original article
Comments