DETROIT – President Donald Trump initially announced announced he plans to send federal agents to Kansas City, Chicago and Albuquerque as part of an initiative to “quell recent violence” in cities across the country.
Trump announced the expansion of “Operation Legend” on Thursday, adding Detroit, Cleveland and Milwuakee to the list.
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In 2019, U.S. Attorney General William Barr came to Detroit to announce a partnership between multiple federal agencies called “Operation Relentless Pursuit.” The federal agents coming to Detroit will be a part of that.
Detroit Police chief James Craig and mayor Mike Duggan were both vocal about there not being a need for the Department of Homeland Security to deal with protests in Detroit.
The federal agents coming into Detroit won’t be like what has been seen in Portland -- where agents are allegedly not following Justice Department guidelines on identification and use of force -- authorities said it’s an attempt to tamp down on the rise in gun-related crime.
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Duggan said federal agents assisting in getting illegal firearms off Detroit streets would be helpful.
Trump has come under fire for the deployment of federal agents with elected officials questioning his motives.