Rep. Ryan Clancy Denounces Authoritarian Crackdown on Los Angeles ICE Protestors

MADISON, Wis. – Today, protests in Los Angeles, CA against Immigrations & Customs Enforcement (“ICE”) entered their fourth day, a response to the recent federal detention of hundreds of people in the Los Angeles area, including SEIU California and SEIU-USWW President Daniel Huerta last Friday. Last evening, as two protests converged on the Metropolitan Detention Center – a federal prison where immigrants are being held – local police enforcement shot tear gas and “less lethal” bullets at protestors. Los Angeles is still, in effect, under partial curfew due to a continued “unlawful assembly”.

In a clear escalation, President Donald Trump has also called in the National Guard against the objections of California Governor Gavin Newsom – an action not taken by a United States President in over sixty years. In effect, the Trump Administration is now directing the National Guard to support local law enforcement’s brutalization of protest, in defense of a federal agency now regularly kidnapping hundreds of people off the street, in their homes, at their workplaces, and seemingly wherever else they can.

Rep. Ryan Clancy (D-19) issued the following statement:

“I’m appalled but not surprised to see President Donald Trump escalating his attacks on free speech, free expression, and free association by calling in the National Guard to quell protests against his administration. We’re beyond federal overreach, beyond even the repeated, violent repression of dissent that tried and failed to stomp out protests after George Floyd’s murder. President Trump is now repeatedly commanding armed federal agents to implement his program of deportation by whim and fiat. This is unprecedented in scope, clearly authoritarian, and should be both terrifying and motivating to us all.

As socialists, our long term demands remain to abolish ICE –an agency that did not exist for the vast majority of this nation’s history– and to redirect funding from the law enforcement officials who are now, predictably supporting and enabling the detention and brutalization of our friends, family and neighbors. Local law enforcement will not save us from the Trump administration, and will amplify these attacks on our communities.

As believers in democracy and as elected officials, I call on Governor Tony Evers, my colleagues in Wisconsin’s legislature, county and city level officials, and every person in Wisconsin. We must steadfastly oppose legislation and funding that expand police and surveillance powers. We must use what power we still have to redirect resources from the institutions and entities doing the bidding of the Trump administration, towards the programs and services that actually provide for our collective health and safety. We must dismantle the punitive and carceral systems that existed prior to Trump’s regime and have damaged our communities for generations. If not, they will continue to be turned against us.”

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. While it is believed to be reliable, Urban Milwaukee does not guarantee its accuracy or completeness.