Federal troops in cities: What can be done?
As mysterious federal troops clash with protesters, ÓûÂþɬ professor Andrew Reiter says there’s little to be done.
By Keely Sexton
In response to demonstrations in cities across the United States, the prospect of federal agents sent to quell protests has been raised. In Portland, unidentified troops without official insignias were reported to be whisking away protesters. The street-level conflict has inflamed the unprecedented tensions between federal and local authorities.
In a recent , Andrew Reiter, associate professor of politics, spoke about the recourse — or lack thereof — cities that have been targeted by the deployment have against the action.
"[Federal agents] operate all over the country anyway," he said. "Their jurisdiction is limited to [certain types] of crimes, but as far as where they can be deployed, there's nothing cities can do about that."