Federal police seem like something out of a nightmare for many, but they’re very real. President Trump has kept his promise to expand federal policing in Black cities. Federal policing is something we shouldn’t take lightly because it can cause us much harm.
Operation Relentless Pursuit (announced in 2019) and Operation Legend are two terrible attempts by the Trump Administration and Attorney General Bill Barr to occupy Black cities. Some mayors want forced federal policing banned and they want this with good reason.
Images of military-styled federal police responding to protests shocked the nation and now they hope to change their uniforms, but their purpose remains the same. This isn’t about safety. It’s about the continuous expansion of policing at every level for risky reasons.
Operations that federalize local cops have been described as unnecessary, ineffective, and unconstitutional. At least five cities have pulled away from federal task forces since 2017 because they’re not accountable enough and that says a lot.
Local police are not accountable enough already, the last thing our communities need is an expanded larger police state with more occupying forces. Data shows police already aren’t even from the communities they police. The last thing we need is more occupation.