The Border Patrol unit deployed to Portland is chiefly trained to pursue fugitives and criminals, says a former CBP commissioner. 'This is clearly an urban environment and civil unrest. It is not in their wheelhouse,' he said. 'I mean, they track people.'
Federal police stand guard on Salmon Street after pushing protesters away from the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday in Portland, Ore. The federal police response to the ongoing protests against racial inequality has been criticized by city and state elected officials.Federal police stand guard on Salmon Street after pushing protesters away from the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. Courthouse on Tuesday in Portland, Ore.
Much of the controversy has stemmed from agents using unmarked vehicles to grab protesters off the streets. Critics say they didn't have probable cause and didn't properly identify themselves. Last night, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler called the federal deployment an"unconstitutional occupation," and was later tear gassed while in the crowd.
"They're clearly the wrong group to be doing this," Kerlikowske said of the Border Patrol in Portland."I mean, this is not something they're trained to do. My guess is they would probably also clearly tell you it's not something they want to do." But federal officials say their agents are acting within the law — and have been doing these kinds of operations for decades.
Officials with the Department of Homeland Security, which includes CBP, insist BORTAC is not being used as Trump's secret police. The officials said the agents are trained to put down prison riots, and have broad authority to assist federal law enforcement anywhere in the U.S. The agents' names are not on their uniforms, officials say, because protesters have identified some of them and posted the information on social media. The agents use unmarked vehicles so they won't be torched or vandalized, Morgan said, and they wear flak vests emblazoned with"POLICE" as well as smaller, light-colored CBP patches.
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