In Portland, Oregon, my home town, it’s becoming harder and harder to recognize what “law enforcement” even means anymore. Federal agents with long guns hover above neighborhoods under the banner of “supporting ICE operations.” Armed agents with fully automatic weapons of war stand outside the ICE facility in South Waterfront, where the city recently accused the agency of violating its own land-use permit by detaining people overnight.
Now, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem is threatening to flood Portland with federal troops to “defend” ICE’s building from protestors, as if this city of families, musicians, and artists is a war zone. A federal judge has already blocked one National Guard deployment, saying the demonstrations have been largely peaceful. But the pattern is clear: violence is becoming the first language of the Trump administration’s power.
Which brings us to the question that should haunt every American right now: Why the violence?…