President Donald Trump has moved to pull back federal law enforcement from Democratic-run cities dealing with anti-ICE riots, saying they will only be deployed if requested by local officials.
“I have instructed Secretary of Homeland Security, Kristi Noem, that under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run Democrat Cities with regard to their Protests and/or Riots unless, and until, they ask us for help,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
Those future requests would also come with one condition, according to Trump.
“Therefore, to all complaining Local Governments, Governors, and Mayors, let us know when you are ready, and we will be there — But, before we do so, you must use the word, ‘PLEASE,’” he said.
If federal agents are deployed, including from U.S. Customs and Immigration Enforcement and Customs and Border Protection, Trump suggested they would now get more leeway in their use of force.
“Please be aware that I have instructed ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property. There will be no spitting in the faces of our Officers, there will be no punching or kicking the headlights of our cars, and there will be no rock or brick throwing at our vehicles, or at our Patriot Warriors. If there is, those people will suffer an equal, or more, consequence,” he said.
That warning comes in spite of the significant scrutiny of CBP and ICE’s tactics after the killing of Alex Pretti and Renee Good in Minneapolis.
Trump vowed that agents would still be “extremely powerful and tough” in dealing with rioters damaging federal property, expressing ire over recent anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles and Eugene, Oregon.
“We will not allow our Courthouses, Federal Buildings, or anything else under our protection, to be damaged in any way, shape, or form. I was elected on a Policy of Border Control (which has now been perfected!), National Security, and LAW AND ORDER — That’s what America wants, and that’s what America is getting!” he concluded.
“ICE Out” protests began just ahead of the weekend, with some of those turning violent.
In Los Angeles, rioters attacked LAPD officers as they tried to break into a federal courthouse, leading to dispersal orders and multiple arrests. According to CBS News, they threw bottles and rocks at the officers, vandalized parts of the building, and later set fire to a nearby dumpster.
Anti-ICE rioters also descended on Eugene, with hundreds demonstrating outside a federal building. Some reportedly entered and vandalized it, leading to both federal and local law enforcement seeking to disperse the crowd with tear gas, pepper balls, and flash-bangs.