Much of the controversy has stemmed from agents using unmarked vehicles to grab protesters off the streets. + Subscribe to our podcasts. Breaking News: WATCH LIVE: Trump and Biden face off in the final debate before Election Day Kerlikowske asserts the Border Patrol unit known as BORTAC, which was dispatched to Portland, is chiefly trained to pursue fugitives and criminals. "This is clearly an urban environment and civil unrest. (Posted Claim: A military uniformed presence in July 2020 was made up partly or entirely of private contractors. "We've used them in upstate New York to track fugitive escapees. Images of federal officers in camouflage uniforms making arrests on the streets of Portland, have alarmed critics across the country who think President Trump is using federal officers to trample civil liberties and paint himself as the law-in-order candidate heading into the November election. Information, download Among the skeptics is Gil Kerlikowske, former commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection under President Barack Obama. To view PDF documents, Download Acrobat Reader. This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. Viral social media posts claim that the government deployed security forces from a private firm to Portland, Oregon. Federal police stand guard on Salmon Street after pushing protesters away from the Mark O. Hatfield U.S. The federal police response to the ongoing protests against racial inequality has been criticized by city and state elected officials. When Border Patrol agents were dispatched earlier this month to Portland, Oregon, it wasn't the first time they've taken on urban policing far from their duties on the nation's frontiers. Critics say they didn't have probable cause and didn't properly identify themselves. They'll be there to help combat rising crime – not to take back the streets from protestors. He said the Border Patrol sent 600 of the 1,000 federal officers deployed to Los Angeles during the Rodney King unrest, and that the border agents were not trained back then like they are today. But more are on the way. "These agents and officers are among the most highly trained agents and officers that we have within CBP, and that includes training in riot control," Morgan said. "I mean, they track people. There are other precedents for deploying Border Patrol into the interior of the country. The Trump administration is refusing to recall federal agents from the city, where racial justice protests have been ongoing for more than 50 days. Nearly three decades later – as debate rages over federal agents in Portland – questions remain about whether the Border Patrol gets appropriate training to handle civil unrest. at 5:08 p.m.), LATEST UPDATES: Tracking COVID-19 | Racial Justice | Voter Guide. Trump Administration officials say DHS investigators are among federal squads rushing to Chicago, Albuquerque and Kansas City. When Border Patrol agents were dispatched earlier this month to Portland, Oregon, it wasn't the first time they've taken on urban policing far from their duties on the nation's frontiers. "I mean, this is not something they're trained to do. Officials with the Department of Homeland Security, which includes CBP, insist BORTAC is not being used as Trump's secret police. But federal officials say their agents are acting within the law — and have been doing these kinds of operations for decades. "It is offensive to refer to these dedicated men and women that are out there as law enforcement professionals, to make that reference.". Thursday, October 22, 2020 at Get the day's top news — ranging from local to international — straight to your inbox each weekday morning. A fact sheet posted on the official website of DHS states that the agency uses “13,000 contract staff to conduct security screenings at federal buildings.” About 1,000 are police officers, criminal investigators, and law enforcement security officers. We've used them to track people who shot state troopers in Pennsylvania.". The agents' names are not on their uniforms, officials say, because protesters have identified some of them and posted the information on social media. 10 a.m. "The big difference now is you have folks that have specialized training in riot control," said Manjarrez, now the associate director for the Center for Law and Human Behavior at the University of Texas at El Paso. 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. And in 1987, they retook control of a federal prison in Louisiana that had been overrun by Cuban inmates. It is not in their wheelhouse," he said. My guess is they would probably also clearly tell you it's not something they want to do.". "They're clearly the wrong group to be doing this," Kerlikowske said of the Border Patrol in Portland. Courthouse on Tuesday in Portland, Ore. In 1962, they were deputized as U.S. Want more KPBS news?Find us on Twitter and Facebook, or sign up for our newsletters. Copyright 2020 NPR. 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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. Last night, Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler called the federal deployment an "unconstitutional occupation," and was later tear gassed while in the crowd. Alongside local police and National Guard, the green-suited border agents were there to quell riots but drew a lot of criticism for also conducting immigration sweeps of people in the country illegally. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org. Victor Manjarrez Jr. was a young Border Patrol agent in the 1990s and eventually became a sector chief. Marshals to protect James Meredith, the first Black student entering the University of Mississippi. Acrobat Reader. Today, some Democratic mayors and members of Congress have called these teams of agents "unwanted, occupying forces" whose presence escalates street violence, and they've asked the White House to remove them. In Portland, they were protecting federal buildings because the protesters had grown so violent, said Acting CBP commissioner Mark Morgan. KPBS' daily news podcast covering local politics, education, health, environment, the border and more. "I've seen news reporting after news reporting, tweet after tweet, saying 'unidentified, masked storm troopers,' " Morgan said at a press conference this week. New episodes are ready weekday mornings so you can listen on your morning commute. Need help keeping up with the news that matters most? 10/22/20 The agents deployed to Los Angeles, for instance, after the Rodney King verdict in 1992.