Oregon’s Democratic Senators Jeff Merkley and Ron Wyden launched an effort to hamper President Donald Trump’s threat to expand the presence of federal law enforcement in cities by introducing new legislation, Newsweek reported on Tuesday.
The measure was introduced as a proposed amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act, and came as the Trump administration faces criticism over the deployment of federal officers to Portland.
The agents were deployed to Portland earlier this month during widespread protests following George Floyd's death.
Officials from Portland and the state of Oregon have repeatedly insisted the that federal officers be withdrawn, but Trump has vowed to keep them there and send federal agents to other Democrat-led cities.
"The police are afraid to do anything," Trump said. "They're restricted from doing anything."
The senators’ proposal would not prevent the Trump administration from deploying federal officers, but would halt controversial tactics used by agents, such as using unmarked vehicles in arrests, and require them to wear identification on their uniforms.
"What we have seen in the last 10 days in Portland has been horrific and unconscionable," Merkley said. "Federal forces have shot an unarmed protester in the head with impact munitions, and paramilitary forces in camouflage have been grabbing people off the streets and putting them into unmarked vans."
The senator added that "These are the actions of an authoritarian regime, not a democratic republic. This gross violation of Americans' civil rights must end immediately."
Brian Freeman ✉
Brian Freeman, a Newsmax writer based in Israel, has more than three decades writing and editing about culture and politics for newspapers, online and television.
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