During Tuesdayâs White House press briefing, Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany cited 40 U.S. Code 1315 as evidence that the Trump administration and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is operating legally in Portland, Oregon.
ABCâs Jon Karl had asked â[W]here in the Constitution does the president derive the authority to send federal law enforcement officers to the streets of American cities against the will of the elected officials in those cities?â
McEnany answered that Code 1315 âgives DHS the ability to deputize officers in any department or agency, like ICE, Customs and Border Patrol and Secret Service as quote âofficers and agents.â They can be deputized for the duty, in connection to the protection of property owned or occupied by the federal government and persons on that property,â she continued. âWhen a federal courthouse is being lit on fire and commercial fireworks being shot at it, being shot at the officers I think that falls pretty well within the limits of 40 U.S. Code 1315.â
Karl then asked if President Trump sees any âlimitations to that powerâ and if âthatâs a matter of protecting federal property, how far does that power extend to the streets of Portland. What are the limitations of that, the authority to protect it?â
McEnany responded that, â[U]nder the law we believe they can conduct investigations of crimes committed against federal property or federal officers. In the case where you have someone shooting off a commercial grade firework and then running across the street, we donât believe that extends past the jurisdiction.â
After the Portland has been under fire by riots for almost two months with the mayorâs and the stateâs governorâs seeming approval, federal law enforcement had no other choice but to go in and stop the chaos themselves. As reported by the Daily Caller, border patrol agents detained people in Portland last week to âinvestigate links to assaults on law enforcement officials and vandalism on federal property.â
In a statement, Customs and Border Patrol said that, â[W]hile the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) respects every Americanâs right to protest peacefully, violence and civil unrest will not be tolerated. Violent anarchists have organized events in Portland over the last several weeks with willful intent to damage and destroy federal property, as well as injure federal officers and agents. These criminal actions will not be tolerated.â
No country can possibly survive if insurrection is tolerated. Hence, these Leftist mobs need to be stopped. Thank God for the Trump administration and its response.