Member-only story
Disband The Department Of Homeland Security!
This story isn’t about condemning federal agents operating in American cities.
It’s specifically about Trump — or any future like-minded President — using the Department of Homeland Security against Americans who don’t agree with him…
So before some of you get on us about this, let us make it clear our point today is not to discuss the validity of any of the divisions within DHS, including CBP and ICE. We are also not arguing today about whether the President has the authority and/or responsibility to protect federal buildings and even statues, as some of you angrily suggested we were in an earlier story we wrote. (Even though it seems pretty clear to us from what we’ve seen of Portland, and hear from our friends there, Trump’s show of strength and political posturing goes far beyond that).
You’ll also note we didn’t use the “A” word (abolish), or the “C” word (cancel) or the other “D” word (defund). Not that we think it makes much difference. Just that since everybody’s attacking everybody else these days on labels and words, why not be a little circumspect?
When we look at Oregon, or soon probably elsewhere, let’s be clear what we’re objecting to/taking about.
Federal agents are in major cities all the time. Not a huge problem. The FBI, ATF, and Justice Department, just to name a few, have regional branches and field offices all over the place, and have operated extensively in most major cities for years. And that includes extensive investigations independent of or with the cooperation of local police forces, and making arrests.
Also, the National Guard has played a major role at times at both times of natural disaster and in enforcing federal law. They were in Minnesota, and in DC, but the US military apparently pushed back against expanding that role based on Trump’s will alone. So more recently he’s gone a different route.
And that’s where we run into trouble. Because all the federal agencies and troops we mentioned so far are outside the Department of Homeland Security. And DHS is not the military, even though it’s suiting its people up like they are.
