Trump’s domestic force deployment has nothing to do with crime – they’re about intimidation | Moira Donegan

“W.Donald Trump Said TuesdayWhen asked if National Police would send troops to invade Chicago. Comment is The report appears The National Guard from Texas (not yet federalized under presidential control) is ready to deploy to Chicago in the coming days, against the opposition, repeatedly expressed by Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson and Illinois Governor JB Pritzker.

White House and presidential allies claim deployment is a response to violent crime Chicago. This is a lie. In the past few decades, crime has dropped dramatically in Chicago, just like in every major city in the United States, Trump deployed the National Guard and Marines as well as Washington, D.C., which has patroled the streets for most of the past months. Armed forces deployed to American cities – even if they were not formally under his direct command, they served for their pleasure – without regard to “crime” unless the government tries to redefine the term to indicate democratic governance, racial diversity, or the existence of immigration. In Chicago or any of these cities, there is no violent crime that can effectively calm federal forces.

Instead, federal agents who may invade Chicago in the next few days will have a very different purpose. There they declared Trump’s personal authority over the administration’s actions, intimidate the population that did not vote for him, intimidate and kidnap immigrants and destroy their families, and make sure every American knows that even if they succeed in electing Democrats to run their own cities and nations, the Trump regime can also send armed people to the Republicans.

The chances of violent confrontation between the regime’s armed agents and ordinary Americans have risen sharply as Trump expands military occupation of cities opposed to control. American city residents have not been scared to silence yet. Many of us still retain the self-esteem that comes with a lifetime of democratic citizenship. These people will inevitably, justly protest against the Trump administration’s invasion. They yell when they see their neighbors being dragged into the van by masked men. They will laugh and mock the dispatched backup backup. Ultimately, it seems inevitable that someone will throw a stone, or slam a door loudly, or scare take, or scare a masked armed man who knows he has been deployed by an unpopular ruler to suppress a once useless public. One of them was frightened, full of hatred and shame, and might shoot at that moment. By sending troops into cities that do not support him, Trump administration It is igniting around a clean stack assembled around a worn and fragile citizen peace. They are pouring lighter liquid and lighting matches. They hope a fire will come, which will provide an excuse for even more cruelty.

It seems almost naive to ask if this is legal. The Supreme Court made it clear that the president (or at least the president) has little restricted his powers under the conditions of an “emergency”. In Chicago or any other opposition-controlled city, no emergency proves that a force invasion consistent with Trump is irrelevant: Like “crime”, “emergency” can be what Trump wants. The Supreme Court will eventually green light Trump’s actions or delay his intervention in him long enough that he will be able to achieve his goals.

However, the lower courts, at least temporarily, checked the willingness of more blatant illegal acts. Tuesday in California, court rule Trump’s deployment of Marines and federalized California National Guard to Los Angeles earlier this year violated the POSSE COMITATUS Act, a 1878 law that prohibits the use of federal armed forces to enforce domestic laws. But in Chicago, the Trump administration is trying to solve it: According to Pritzkerthe accumulated troops are non-trans-state members of the Texas National Guard – technically, under the command of Gov. Greg Abbott, despite explicitly serving the president’s goals. If Pritzker claims – Abbott’s Office dispute – This is the fact, then the theory is clearly that Republican-controlled states have the right to send their troops to democratically controlled countries against their wishes and without permission from local authorities to implement partisan policy preferences.

Pritzker, who attempted to calm his people and prevent unnecessary violence, begged the Chicagoans to “not accept the bait.” Of course, the ground forces will create some viral video moments that the president will like to post to his followers. But the line between merely the power of expressiveness and what is true power seizure is no longer very clear. Boots and guns are real anyway.