ACLU petition to Congress: No troops on our streets
Yes, apparently the President pulled back the ICE invasion in the Bay Area last week – but that was probably because someone said “Oh hey there’s a vote happening in California in about a week, maybe we shouldn’t go after Californians right now?” The optics of thugs attacking our people and kidnapping them from the streets would, I’m sure, have increased turnout even more in favor of Prop 50. So it’s just a matter of time. ICE is almost certainly going to be back in San Francisco soon.
From the American Civil Liberties Union:
The message:
President Trump has deployed thousands of military troops to American cities – and is threatening to do it again – in an egregious abuse of power.
Earlier this year, he responded to protests against his cruel mass deportation campaign by deploying federalized National Guard troops, federal agents, and active-duty Marines to Los Angeles. Then, he manufactured an emergency to temporarily seize control of Washington, D.C.’s police department while deploying D.C. National Guard troops and troops from several other states to patrol the city. His threats against other American cities have only escalated as well, including his deployment of armed federal agents and military troops to Memphis and Portland.
Make no mistake: President Trump’s power grab is meant to create fear in major American cities. But no matter what he claims or what uniforms they wear, federal agents and military troops are bound by the Constitution, and must uphold our rights to peaceful assembly, freedom of speech, due process, and safeguards against unlawful searches and seizures.
And regardless of whether the president cites false crime statistics, villainizes immigrants, or claims peaceful protest is insurrection, sending armed federal agents and military troops into our communities is unjustified and dangerous. Tell Congress: Military troops do not belong on our streets.
Go to this ACLU webpage for instructions on how to add your voice.