Business Insider:
The president announced today that he is expanding the Justice Department’s “Operation Legend” program to Chicago and Albuquerque, days after threatening federal intervention to confront violence in American cities.
- Trump said Wednesday that the Justice Department would allocate $61 million and send federal law-enforcement officials into several US cities to crack down on violent crime.
- The department will “surge” federal law-enforcement officials to Chicago, and they will “vigorously charge federal crimes,” Trump said.
- He also said he sent federal agents to Kansas City, Missouri, and would soon deploy agents to Albuquerque, New Mexico, to restore order.
- The president’s announcement came as civil-rights advocates and local officials sounded the alarm over the appearance of unmarked federal agents in Portland, Oregon, who have been seen pulling people off the streets.
Here is the VIDEO of President Trump making the announcement on ‘Operation Legend’
President Donald Trump said Wednesday that the Justice Department would send federal law-enforcement officials into more US cities as civil unrest continues unfolding in the wake of the Memorial Day killing of George Floyd.
Trump said the Justice Department would “surge” federal law-enforcement officials to Chicago and that they would “vigorously charge federal crimes.” The president also said he sent federal agents to Kansas City, Missouri, and would soon deploy agents to Albuquerque, New Mexico.
Trump announced the department would also allocate $61 million in grants to send more police officers to US cities as part of a mission dubbed Operation Legend. The president said Operation Legend was meant to “answer the pleas of those crying for justice and crying for help” across the country.
Attorney General William Barr echoed Trump and said the initiative was meant “to combat rising violent crime in a number of our cities.” He also linked the recent uptick in violent crime to anti-racism protests. But neither Barr nor the president pointed to any evidence that the protests were responsible for the increase in crime.
Wednesday’s announcement marked a dramatic escalation of the federal government’s crackdown on largely peaceful demonstrations following Floyd’s killing, and local officials also expressed alarm over the development.
