Homeland Security: exactly what does that mean? In the aftermath of the 2001 attack on the World Trade Center in New York, Americans made a Faustian bargain; accepting a reduction of individual freedom and privacy in exchange for greater safety and security. And so, the Department of Homeland Security was created. The broader consequences of this bargain have become clear as a result of the Trump Administration’s actions in Portland.
Prior to the creation of the Department Homeland Security, Federal government intervention in local matters largely involved the deployment of the National Guard. Typically, the National Guard is under the control of the individual states and is commanded by the governor of the State. The President does have the power to activate the Guard and place it under federal control. This is done so that the Guard can be used in Federal emergencies and deployed outside of their home state to supplement Guard units from other states (such as during hurricanes). Also, the President can activate Guard units to active duty to be used in conjunction with U.S. Army units as was done during the Vietnam War.
The National Guard is composed of non-professional military; individuals who serve in the Guard work in other jobs and serve on a part-time basis. Soldiers in the Guard report for one weekend of training each month, as well as a more extensive two week training period once per year. The Guard is comprised of individuals who live in the State in which they serve. As a result, they have some ties and allegiance to the communities where they are usually called to serve.
In contrast, Department of Homeland Security (DHS) forces are professional units under the direct control of the Secretary of Homeland Security, a Cabinet level position that reports directly to the President. The deployment of these forces are solely at the discretion of the Secretary. Governors have no authority over them, and the forces themselves have no necessary ties or allegiance to the communities where they are deployed.
President Trump ordered Customs and Border Patrol Agents (an agency in DHS) to Portland to allegedly “protect” Federal property. This, despite the fact there already exists a Federal force, the Federal Protective Service, who has that responsibility. Their job is to protect and deliver law enforcement and security to federally owned and leased buildings. When necessary, they have been supplemented by the United States Marshals Service. The deployment of Customs and Border Patrol Agents for such an assignment is unprecedented.
The DHS forces appeared in Portland in paramilitary gear. They were heavily armed, had little or no identification, and were deployed in unmarked vehicles. Rather than surrounding and protecting Federal property, they were dispersed throughout city streets, confronted unarmed protesters, used tear gas, and began detaining and arresting demonstrators, most of whom had done nothing illegal. Several were just walking home after the protests. Many were held and questioned in unmarked vans. Detainees were not able to identify who their abductors were.
Under the Trump Administration, Department of Homeland Security forces are devolving into the type of paramilitary forces used by repressive regimes to oppress their domestic opponents and maintain the power of the regime. Perhaps this was inevitable. Up until the creation of DHS, Presidents did not readily have on hand a standing, professional force that could so easily be used to attack domestic adversaries. Presidents are prohibited from using United States Armed forces against citizens of the country. National Guard troops were virtually always under the control of state governments. It was only with the establishment of DHS that a standing militarized force stood ready to work under the President’s sole authority to ensure “homeland security”; a term that can too easily be used in a nefarious manner to serve the interests of the President.
Oppressive regimes in third-world countries are quick to deploy paramilitary forces to suppress domestic disturbances to ensure “homeland security” and protect the regime. One of the worst examples was the Pinochet regime in Chile in the 1970’s. The disappearance of individuals perceived as being opponents of the regime became common place. As is happening in Portland, individuals would be picked up on the streets in unmarked vehicles by paramilitary forces with no identification. In Chile, individuals like these were detained, interrogated, jailed, tortured, and murdered. No record of the abduction and arrest was created. The individuals simply disappeared. At least 1,248 individuals have been confirmed to have been abducted and murdered in this way; but the those are only the confirmed cases. Hundreds of others who vanished during the Pinochet years have never been found.
When campaigning for President in 2016, Trump stated: ” “We have become a third world country, folks.” He repeated that claim several times. At the time, it was an extreme exaggeration. In hindsight, he could more accurately have said “We will become a third world country.” Certainly his election and his Administration have brought us closer to that stark reality.
Do you believe the Department of Homeland Security’s deployment in Portland threatens American freedoms and is being used inappropriately? Do you support the deployment of DHS forces in Portland?
