Portland protests spur House Democrats to call for probe into use of federal officers against protesters

The Democratic chairs of three House committees are calling for the inspectors general for the Justice Department and Department of Homeland Security to investigate the use of force by federal law enforcement officers against anti-police brutality protesters. 

In a joint letter to Michael Horowitz, the DOJ inspector general, and Joseph Cuffari, inspector general for DHS, Judiciary Committee Chairman Jerry Nadler, Homeland Security Committee Chairman Bennie Thompson, and Oversight and Reform Committee Chairwoman Carolyn Maloney on Sunday said the Trump administration appears "to have increasingly abused emergency authorities to justify the use of force against Americans exercising their right to peaceful assembly." 

The lawmakers cited recent reports of protesters being swept off the streets in Portland, Oregon, by unidentified federal agents as evidence that "this misuse of resources and personnel remains a growing threat." 

"Accordingly, we write to request an investigation by your offices into the use of federal law enforcement agencies by the Attorney General and the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security to suppress First Amendment protected activities in Washington, D.C., Portland, and other communities across the United States," they wrote. 

More:Portland, Oregon, police declare Saturday gathering a riot after another night of protest, unrest

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They said in some instances people could not tell the difference between the federal agents and "far-right extremists in the region who wore similar military gear." They described Customs and Border Patrol agents snatching up citizens and detaining them without identifying themselves as federal law enforcement or informing the detainees of their rights. 

"Not only is this irresponsible and dangerous, but it is a violation of Constitutional rights," the Democratic lawmakers said. 

Protests against police brutality and racial discrimination broke out across the U.S. after the death of George Floyd, a Black man who died after a Minneapolis police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes. Some of the protests deteriorated into violence against police and looting. 

President Donald Trump has often conflated the entire protest movement, which is generally peaceful, with those episodes of violence and destruction. He has called for a harsh law enforcement response, threatening to intervene with federal troops in cities where he thinks local, usually Democratic, leaders have been too soft. 

Last week, Portland police cracked down to prevent protesters from establishing an autonomous zone, similar to one previously established in Seattle, about which Trump repeatedly denounced local politicians for allowing it to continue. In an interview on "Fox News Sunday," Trump claimed police cleared the "Capitol Hill Occupied Protest" in Seattle earlier this month because federal forces were "going in that following day." 

On Saturday, Portland police declared the demonstrations a riot after hundreds of protesters broke into a building and set it ablaze and started dumpster fires.

Trump claimed, without evidence, the use of federal law enforcement in Portland had prevented the city from being overrun by protesters. 

"If you look at what's gone on in Portland – those are anarchists, and we've taken a very tough stand," Trump said. "If we didn't take a stand in Portland – you know we've arrested many of these leaders – if we didn't take that stand, right now you would have a problem like you – they were going to lose Portland." 

"We are trying to help Portland, not hurt it. Their leadership has, for months, lost control of the anarchists and agitators. They are missing in action," Trump tweeted the night before. "We must protect Federal property, AND OUR PEOPLE. These were not merely protesters, these are the real deal!"

Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler denounced the use of federal agents in his city, saying he did not request the administration's assistance. Both of Oregon's senators have called for investigations into the use of the federal law enforcement officers in Portland. 

In addition to the reported detentions in Portland, Nadler, Thompson and Maloney pointed to the June 1 clearing of protesters outside the White House as an example of what they considered improper use of federal force against protesters.

They said "federal authorities in riot gear used chemical agents, smoke, and rubber bullets to violently remove protestors from Lafayette Square – so that the President could have a photo-op in front of the historic St. John’s Church." 

The Democratic leaders said the "legal basis for this use of force has never been explained" and they said "it is not at all clear" that Attorney General William Barr and  acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf "are authorized to deploy federal law enforcement officers in this manner." 

"The Attorney General of the United States does not have unfettered authority to direct thousands of federal law enforcement personnel to arrest and detain American citizens exercising their First Amendment rights." 

On June 26, Trump issued an executive order to provide "personnel to assist with the protection of Federal monuments, memorials, statues, or property." Nadler, Thompson and Maloney wrote it appeared Wolf was using that order "as justification for arresting American citizens in the dead of night."

"The Administration’s insistence on deploying these forces over the objections of state and local authorities suggest that these tactics have little to do with public safety, but more to do with political gamesmanship." 

Contributing: Lorenzo Reyes, USA TODAY