Thousands of protesters join ‘ICE OUT’ rallies across the US
Protesters across the U.S. participated in “ICE OUT” rallies to demand accountability for ICE officers and to defund or eliminate their funding.
WASHINGTON – President Donald Trump announced on January 31 that he has ordered the Department of Homeland Security not to become involved in protests in Democratic-led cities “under any circumstances” unless federal assistance is requested or federal property is threatened.
The announcement comes after weeks of unrest and protests sparked by the large-scale deployment of Border Patrol and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents to Minnesota and the killing of two U.S. citizens, Renee Good and Alex Preti, by federal agents who said they were responding to threats.
Many observers say bystander video contradicts these claims of self-defense. Video footage of Preti’s death seen by Reuters undermines the Trump administration’s claims that Preti brandished a weapon before being fatally shot by police.
Activists and demonstrators opposed to President Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement are seeking to closely monitor immigration officials in Minneapolis and other communities.
Trump wrote on social media that his new order will likely force DHS to avoid confrontations with protesters on the streets and during raids, but that ICE and Border Patrol will act aggressively to protect federal buildings.
“We will not allow our courthouses, federal buildings, or anything else under our protection to be damaged in any way,” he wrote.
The Department of Homeland Security, the offices of Minnesota Mayor Jacob Frey and Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison did not respond to requests for comment.
President Trump wrote that cities must protect their states and local property. He also held state and local officials accountable for helping protect federal property.
President Trump said the federal government would provide assistance if requested, adding that it would “handle the situation very easily and methodically.”
Thousands of protesters took to the streets in Minneapolis and other U.S. cities on Friday to demand the withdrawal of federal immigration agents from Minnesota in the wake of the shooting deaths of Good and Preti.
The Trump administration has sent 3,000 federal agents to the Minneapolis area as part of a crackdown on illegal immigration, many of whom ended up confronting protesters and activists.
It was the latest example of President Trump’s willingness to use federal workers in urban areas. He has sent federal law enforcement officers and National Guard troops to a number of cities, primarily Democratic, including Los Angeles, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Portland, Oregon.
President Trump said the measures are necessary to enforce immigration laws and curb crime. Local leaders in most of these cities dispute that claim.
Minnesota officials are calling on the Trump administration to end its immigration crackdown in the state. On January 31, a federal judge denied a request by Ellison and other officials for a preliminary injunction halting the federal operation.
(Reporting by Jasper Ward and Robin Respaw in Washington; Editing by Nia Williams, Sergio Nonn and Alistair Bell)
