Hearing of the House Natural Resources Committee - Haaland Condemns Use of Unmarked Federal Officers in Local Communities

Hearing

Congresswoman Deb Haaland (NM-01) today condemned the Trump Administration's use of unmarked federal officers in local communities during a House Natural Resources Committee Hearing. The comments come as President Trump announced Albuquerque on a list of cities where he intends to deploy federal officers, despite the illegal actions and use of violence against peaceful protesters in Portland, Oregon this week. In a press announcement today, the Trump Administration and Bernalillo Country Sherriff Manny Gonzales announced that they would be meeting in the White House tomorrow, to discuss federal law enforcement officer deployment.

During the hearing Haaland said, "Unfortunately, rather than prioritize education, President Trump has decided to focus on a few acts of petty vandalism to justify sending anonymous federal troops into our cities to kidnap and harass our citizens, often over the objections of local governors, mayors and other civic leaders. This is not how we heal and move forward together as a society, something that we are still seeking 150 years after President Lincoln's Second Inaugural Address, which was delivered only weeks before General Lee's surrender at Appomattox, and Lincoln's assassination at Ford's Theater here in D.C."

In June, Congresswoman Deb Haaland, secured an IG probe in the law enforcement crackdown against peaceful protesters at Lafayette Square Park in Washington, D.C. The probe came after Haaland and leaders requested the investigation and the House Natural Resources Committee held the first formal congressional inquiry on the incident, which ended with President Trump's now-infamous photo-op in front of St. John's Episcopal Church near the White House.

Haaland is also a cosponsor of legislative proposals that would protect the rights of peaceful protesters from abuse of force at the hands of federal agents and a supporter of amendments that passed the House Floor in the National Defense Authorization Act tonight:

NDAA Amendment preventing authoritarian policing tactics on America's streets act that will Block President Trump from deploying federal forces as "shadowy paramilitary against Americans.
NDAA Amendment requiring federal law enforcement officers to visibly display their names on their uniform or clothing, as well as the agency they are employed by.
Preventing Authoritarian Policing Tactics on America's Streets Act that will Block President Trump from deploying federal forces as "shadowy paramilitary against Americans specifically by:
Requiring individual and agency identification on uniforms of officers and Prevent unmarked vehicles from being used in arrests,
Limiting federal agents' crowd control activities to federal property and its immediate vicinity, unless their presence is specifically requested by both the mayor and governor,
Requiring disclosure on an agency website within 24 hours of deployments specifying the number of personnel and purposes of deployment,
Prohibiting agents from arrests in violation of these rules.
Law Enforcement Identification Transparency Act of 2020 that would:
Require all federal and local law enforcement officers to identify their name, agency, and badge number of their uniforms at all times while on duty or serving the public,
The bill conditions federal funding for law enforcement agencies on the inclusion of ID on their uniforms.

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