An official with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) said this morning on CNN that the agency plans to arrest members of Congress who peacefully protested outside a DHS detention facility once it can be determined who was there.
Newark Mayor Ras Baraka has already been arrested for participating in the demonstration. Tricia McLaughlin, Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs at DHS, claimed the arrest was because Baraka was “storming” the facility. Video of the arrest, however, clearly shows the mayor outside of the chain-link gate entrance to the building.
McLaughlin added that members of Congress who showed up to protest (which is protected by the US Constitution) “put law enforcement at risk, this actually put the detainees, as well, at risk.” For that reason, she insisted, there will be more arrests soon.
“Victor, I think that we should let viewers know there will likely be more arrests coming. We actually have body camera footage of some of these members of Congress assaulting our ICE enforcement officers, including body slamming a female ICE officer. So we will be showing that to viewers very shortly.”
‘You say a video of members of Congress body slamming ICE officials?” Blackwell asked.
“That’s correct, sir, it’s disgusting,” McLaughlin replied.
“Who has the video?” Blackwell asked.
“ICE does, and we will be releasing that shortly. We’re not playing.”
So now the right to protest has been revoked by the Trump administration? What’s next? The shuttering of news outlets and making it illegal to report on anything done by any federal agency? While they’re at it, will the White House also insist that any criticism of their draconian actions be made a crime, too?
Democracy in the United States is dying by degrees, and the Trump administration won’t be content until they’ve turned this country into a totalitarian hellhole.
