(WWJ) President Donald Trump lists Detroit among the cities that could soon see federal law enforcement on the ground.
Trump doubled down today on his decision to send unmarked federal agents to Portland, Oregon — despite officials in that city saying they're not wanted.
Speaking to reporters at the White House Monday, the president said he wants to send those officers into other cities, mentioning Detroit as a possibility.
"I'm going to do something, that I can tell you," Trump said. "Because we're not gonna allow New York and Chicago, Philadelphia and Detroit and Baltimore and all of these...Oakland is a mess. We're not gonna let this happen in our country; all run by liberal Democrats."
This comes as unmarked federal officers in green camouflage uniforms, dispatched by the Department of Homeland Security, have been taking people into custody on the streets of Portland.
"We'll have more federal law enforcement, that I can tell you," the president continued. "In Portland they've done a fantastic job. They've been their three days, and they've really done a fantastic job in a really short period of time. No problem. They grab 'em, a lot of people in jail, their leaders. These are anarchists; these are not protesters."
It's not clear why, exactly, President Trump mentioned Detroit, as police say protests in the city have been largely nonviolent in recent weeks.
In a joint statement out Tuesday, Detroit Mayor Mike Duggan and Police Chief James Craig said they don't want help from the feds.
"Neither the City of Detroit nor the Detroit Police Department has had any contact from any representative of the federal government about any plans to sends DHS officers to Detroit. There could be no possible justification for such an action. The Detroit Police Department has had the support of the Detroit community in making sure our city did not have a single store looted or a single fire started during the protests," the statement reads.
"Unlike nearly every other major city in the country, the Detroit Police Department never requested assistance from the National Guard - we handled our issues as a community. We definitely have no need for any federal presence being sent in now."
Gov. Gretchen Whitmer also made clear she's having none of it.
"It is deeply disturbing that President Trump is once again choosing to spread hateful rhetoric and attempting to suppress the voices of those he doesn't agree with," said Whitmer, in a statement.
"Quite frankly, the president doesn't know the first thing about Detroit. If he did, he would know that for nearly two months now, Detroiters have gathered to peacefully protest the systemic racism and discrimination that Black Americans face every day. There is no reason for the president to send federal troops into a city where people are demanding change peacefully and respectfully. If the president actually wants to help the people of Michigan, he can start by picking up the phone and telling Mitch McConnell to pass the HEROES Act, so we can provide immediate relief to Michigan's families, schools, and small businesses."
Attorney General Dana Nessel called Trump's comment a "politically motivated threat" that has "nothing to do with protecting public health or safety."
"It is about using the power of his office as a cudgel to punish those who use their constitutionally guaranteed rights to express views he disagrees with. Such threats undermine peace and stability in our communities by unnecessarily escalating tensions and encroaching on states' rights," said Nessel. "We are a nation of laws, and the President's attempts to intimidate our communities with threats of violence could not be more un-American."
In Chicago, Mayor Lori Lightfoot said she has "great concerns" about the possibility Trump could send in the feds, saying at a Monday news conference, "We don't need federal agents without any insignia taking people off the street and holding them I think unlawfully. That's not what she need."
Lightfoot said there are a number of things that federal government could help with, such fulling funding the ATF in Chicago, and/or additional prosecutors to focus on gun violence cases.
The ACLU of Oregon, meanwhile, said the federal agents appear to be violating people's rights, which "should concern everyone in the United States."
