Those of us not under a rock lately may have noticed a fair amount of debate concerning the deployment of federal law enforcement officers, though details are still unclear where they came from or where they were originally stationed or assigned, in the city of Portland aimed to purportedly curb the unrest in that city. Some, including congressional leaders, have responded with outrage over the use of force, and the round-up of young protesters.
In a Podcast on Monday, several national security experts addressed the legality of this use of federal law enforcement employees in a city where state and city officials specifically rejected the need for such a deployment. In today's headlines President Trump declared he will deploy forces to Chicago. At first, Chicago's mayor in no uncertain terms, rejected the use of federal officers in her city, but now may be backtracking, and recently suggesting the effort may in fact be coordinated.
Below is a brief description of an important and informative podcast on the legal and political issues surrounding the debate. And while perhaps I would take a stronger stance than some of the commentators re. the use of DHS forces to engage in genera law enforcement efforts not involving protecting federal buildings or monuments, I found the Podcast extremely informative and useful in forming my own views on the issue. I share here a brief introduction from Lawfare as well as the link to the Podcast. Please consider listening, and perhaps discussing the matter further here:
"Yesterday, Lawfare published an article revealing and analyzing a document from the Department of Homeland Security that offers legal guidance to analysts in its Office of Intelligence and Analysis regarding the appropriate intelligence activities to mitigate the threat to monuments, memorials and statues, among other things. To discuss this new information and its implications, David Priess spoke with not only the two authors of the article—Lawfare's editor-in-chief Benjamin Wittes and University of Texas law professor Steve Vladeck—but also Carrie Cordero, senior fellow and general counsel at the Center for a New American Security, who has researched and written extensively on DHS authorities and policies, and Paul Rosenzweig, senior fellow for National Security & Cybersecurity at the R Street Institute and a former deputy assistant secretary for policy at DHS."
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