#federal-law-enforcement

#federal-law-enforcement

Prosecutors in Oregon are warning the US justice department to rein in federal agents who've repeatedly used excessive force on protesters, immigrants and even local police. A joint letter from Oregon Attorney General Dan Rayfield and district attorneys from Multnomah, Clackamas and Washington Counties, demands the US Department of Justice "immediately halt unlawful and reckless actions by federal officers operating in Oregon."

Ellis began Thursday's hearing by describing Chicago as a vibrant place and reading poet Carl Sandburg's famous poem about the city. Ellis said it is simply untrue that the Chicago area is a violent place of rioters. I don't find defendants' version of events credible, Ellis said. She described protesters and advocates facing teargas, having guns pointed at them and being thrown to the ground, saying that would cause a reasonable person to think twice about exercising their fundamental rights.

Yet federal agents are responding with increased force. Federal police unleashed a volley of weapons and chemical agents on anti-ICE protesters and journalists on Saturday, October 11. It was a notable escalation in the response to protests at the Portland immigration processing facility that led to violent arrests, a photojournalist getting shot with a pepper ball, and a large group being sprayed indiscriminately with tear gas.

In the U.S., the annual area burned by wildfires has more than doubled over the past 20 years. In addition to the lost carbon storage, wildfires cost lives, create harmful smoke pollution, and make it more expensive to insure and rebuild our communities. The bipartisan Fix Our Forests Act ( HR 471) can help. The bill includes provisions to increase resiliency to catastrophic wildfires, restore forest health and build fire-safety defenses for communities in high-risk areas.

Every time I visit my family near Yosemite, it's sad to see acres of dead trees from recent fires. In the U.S., the annual area burned by wildfires has more than doubled over the past 20 years. In addition to the lost carbon storage, wildfires cost lives, create harmful smoke pollution, and make it more expensive to insure and rebuild our communities.

Since September, at least six unhoused Chicagoans have been abducted by federal agents. That number is likely higher, but the social invisibility and isolation already faced by people experiencing homelessness make their disappearances harder to track. "While we have heard several reports that we are working to verify, we don't have an exhaustive list or count of all incidents involving people experiencing homelessness," wrote Melissa West, staff attorney and Equal Justice Works Fellow with the Law Project of the Chicago Coalition to End Homelessness (CCH), over email Monday.

It is hard to say when, exactly, the militarization of American life began. Troops have marched through towns and cities for centuries, called upon, at various points, to menace civilians or violently suppress protests. Fifty-five years ago, National Guardsmen shot and killed four unarmed college students at Kent State University; the troops had arrived to choke off protests against the Vietnam War.

Vera wrote that federal officers "unleashed crowd control weapons indiscriminately and with surprising savagery." "Indeed, under the guise of protecting the public, federal agents have endangered large numbers of peaceful protestors, legal observers, and journalists - as well as the public that relies on them to hold their government accountable," Vera wrote in the 45-page opinion. "The First Amendment demands better." Vera wrote that he expected federal authorities to disseminate the order to their officers and agents in the field.

Firefighters who spoke to the Times did so based on the condition of anonymity because they fear retaliation by the federal government. You risked your life out here to save the community, one firefighter said. This is how they treat us. While waiting for their supervisor to arrive on Wednesday morning, the crews were confronted by federal law enforcement around 9:30 a.m. One of the firefighters told the Times they were instructed not to take video as they were asked to line up and present their IDs.

"We're in this moment where it's like uncharted waters. But your rights are your rights regardless of your citizenship status."

Community leaders in Washington, D.C. criticize President Trump's approach to crime, emphasizing the need for focused solutions rather than political agendas. Lamont Mitchell highlights that neighborhoods deserve safety and thoughtful strategies rather than being pawns in political games.

The White House announced an increased presence of federal law enforcement in Washington DC for at least the next week to combat crime amid Donald Trump's suggestions to take over the city's governance.

Pritzker stated, "They're grandstanding. There literally is no federal law applicable to this situation none. They can say that they're sending FBI."

Tom Homan stated, 'ICE agents are facing an 830% increase in assaults because of smears from the left. Their words have consequences. We won't let them pretend they don't.'