As the violent protests have escalated against ICE agents and facilities, the Trump Administration rightly activated the National Guard to defend federal agents and facilities. Despite these moves toward law and order, however, judicial activists on the federal district level have attempted to stymie the Administration at every step. Federal judges are essentially creating “sanctuary zones” for chaos, and it’s time to rein in their judicial supremacy.
Let’s be clear — these are not mere peaceful demonstrations. Violent protesters in Portland have spat at ICE agents, blocked their vehicles, even started fires outside federal facilities. More recently, naked bike-rides in support of ICE protesters were defended under the guise of “Portland tradition.” This is not civil society; this is radicalism masquerading as protest.
The White House has perfectly described what Portland and cities like it have become — “an Antifa-led hell-fire” that turned the city into a “wasteland of firebombs, beatings, and brazen attacks on federal officers and property.” Despite the mainstream media denial about this reign of terror, citizens understand the need for law and order. One business owner said “We need help here and something needs to be done, so if [the National Guard] is what we need, then I think it’s a good thing.”
The threat of “Antifa” is very real. As law-professor Jonathan Turley observes, Antifa was first created in the 1920s in Weimar-Germany and it is active in our streets today. Attorney General Pam Bondi said the Administration will take the same wholesale approach to Antifa as it does to cartels — destroy the entire organization from top to bottom.
When the district court blocked deployment of the Oregon National Guard, President Trump responded by directing the California National Guard to Portland — and yet a Temporary Restraining Order also blocked that deployment. On appeal, the Ninth Circuit questioned the logic of city officials saying “no you need to do it differently.” A judge asked: how is it counterintuitive that a president may say “enough is enough” and bring in the National Guard to enforce law and order?
This violent standoff is not isolated. Similar scenes are playing out cities across the nation. The question before America is simple: do we tolerate left-wing chaos and its local government apologists or do we demand basic law and order in our streets? At PhyllisSchlafly.com we are answering this question and others that press our Republic. Join us by signing up for our timely emails and alerts, again that’s PhyllisSchlafly.com. Thank you and join us tomorrow for the Phyllis Schlafly Report.
