Attorney General Knudsen leads 20-state coalition in support of President Trump’s response to violent rioters in Oregon

HELENA – Montana Attorney General Austin Knudsen led a 20-state coalition in supporting President Trump’s deployment of National Guard members to defend Portland against violent protests and support law enforcement in deporting illegal immigrants.

The amicus brief filed Wednesday in State of Oregon and the City of Portland v. Trump, asks the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals to reverse the lower court’s ruling that blocked President Trump’s order deploying federal service members to the city. Rioters in Portland and cities across the country have threatened to harm Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers, broken into federal facilities, and created “a warzone” to nearby neighbors.

“I commend President Trump for stepping in to protect his federal officers in Portland, while local officials stand idly by and allow lawlessness in their state and city. It is not a peaceful protest when the safety of law enforcement officers is threatened by arson, assault, and anarchy. The district court’s ruling sets a dangerous precedent that politics outweigh the law, excusing these horrific acts,” Attorney General Knudsen said.

President Trump’s actions are within his authority under federal law. The violent rioters in Portland are harming federal officers and property. Meanwhile, local officials refuse to address the violence and hold the rioters accountable. Unsurprisingly, the President responded by deploying National Guard resources to protect federal officers from obstructions in their attempts to execute federal laws.

Attorney General Knudsen also notes that to keep the violence and aggression towards ICE agents from spreading to other states, it needs to be stopped quickly. The President’s action of federalizing the National Guard furthers the public interest because it allows ICE agents to continue to perform their statutory duties of identifying, apprehending, and removing illegal aliens.

Attorneys general from Iowa, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Idaho, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisiana, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Ohio, South Dakota, Texas, and West Virginia also joined the brief.

Click here to read the brief.