5ILLUSTRATION
BY
LAUREN
MARTIN
Morethan 900 immigrantdetaineesinthedepartment’s
custodyhavecontractedthevirus,whileitsownagentshave
complainedabouta lackofpersonalprotectiveequipment.
That’stosaynothingofthedepartment’sotherpressing
responsibilities—includingdealingwithlargenumbersof
migrantsandasylumseekersatthesouthernborder,signifi-
cantthreatstoelectionsecurity,a spikeinstate-sponsored
cyberattacks,vulnerabilitiesincriticalinfrastructure,and
virus-related travel disruptions—even as it’s staffed with acting
officials (or no one at all) in a slew of key positions. Members of
Congress have questioned whether the department could even
respond to a natural disaster in its current state.
With so many problems to attend to, the last thing the
department—and the country—needs is for DHS officers
to be deployed in cities where their presence has proved
unwanted and counterproductive. <BW> For more commentary,
go to bloomberg.com/opinion◼ BLOOMBERG OPINION July 27, 2020
PresidentTrump’splantodeployfederallaw-enforcement
officersincitiesgrippedbyprotestshassofarbeena
thoroughgoingfailure.Thatisn’tstoppingtheadministration
fromdoublingdown.
Earlierthismonth,theDepartmentofHomelandSecurity
begansendingofficerstoPortlandtoprotectfederalproperty
fromcontinuingdemonstrations.DHSdispatchedtheofficers
withoutbadges,inunmarkedvehiclesandwearinggeneric
camouflageuniforms.Lackingtrainingforthiskindofassign-
ment,andgivenonlythevaguestinstructions,theagents
tear-gassedelderlywomen,severelyinjuredseveralprotesters,
anddetainedotherswithoutchargesorexplanation.Indoing
so,they’veonlyworsenedthedisorderandfuelednewanger.
NowTrumpis threateningtosendofficerstoatleasthalf
a dozenothercities“allrunbyveryliberalDemocrats”—
a phrasethatsuggeststhepresidentismoreinterestedin
makinga politicalpointthaninrestoringorder.
It’struethatthemayheminPortlandhasgoneonfor
fartoolong.Localauthoritiesneedtoenforcethelawand
ensurethatdemonstrationsremainpeaceful.Butthepresi-
dent’sjobis tosupporttheminsuchaneffort,nottobargein
andcompoundtheproblem.Themayorandgovernorhave
demandedthattheofficersleave,bothofthestate’ssenators
havecondemnedtheoperation,theattorneygeneralhasfiled
a lawsuit,andprosecutorshaveopeneda criminalinvestiga-
tion.Thepresidentshouldwithdrawtheseunitsbeforeany
moreharmis done.
“Idon’tneedinvitationsbythestate,statemayors,orstate
governorstodoourjob,”saidActingSecretaryofHomeland
SecurityChadWolf,whowasassignedtoleadthedepartment
inNovember.“We’regoingtodothat,whethertheylikeus
thereornot.”
Thismissesthepoint.Thefederalgovernmenthasa right
toprotectfederalproperty,butactingsoclumsily,andover
theobjectionsoflocalofficials,is needlesslyinflammatory.It
lookslikea threattocitiestogetinlinewiththepresident’s
visionofcrowdcontrolorfaceaninvasionoffedsreadyto
crackskulls.
It’salsoa distractionfromwhattheDHSshouldbedoing.
Theagencyhasa vitalroletoplayincontainingtheCovid-
pandemic. Its response so far has often been chaotic and
incompetent. It failed for months to coordinate federal
relief efforts or acquire adequate protective supplies. Asked
in a hearing about how many respirators and face shields
the country needed, Wolf could not even venture a guess.The Feds in Portland
Are Doing More
Harm Than Good
The leaders of Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google head
to Washington (virtually) on July 27 to answer questions
from the House Judiciary antitrust subcommittee, which is
investigating the quartet’s online dominance. ▷ 68▶ Tech Testifies
◼ AGENDA
▶ With unemployment
above 11% in the U.S.
and Washington divided
about how to ease the
recession, the Federal
Open Market Committee
meets on July 29 to set
the target interest rate.▶ On July 30, the China
Logistics Information
Center puts out
its Manufacturing
Purchasing Managers
Index, a key indicator
of industrial activity in
the country.▶ Billionaire Ronald
Perelman hopes to sell
works by Joan Miró
and Henri Matisse at a
Sotheby’s auction on
July 28. Together, the
paintings are valued at
more than $53 million.▶ Japan’s Ministry of
Economy, Trade, and
Industry releases retail
sales figures for June
on July 29. Analysts will
be gauging the impact
of the shutdown on the
country’s economy.▶ On July 30, Germany
reports unemployment
and GDP. Economists
expect the rate of
growth to slow further
and joblessness to inch
up to 6.6%, from 6.4%
in June.▶ The U.S. election
season heats up in early
August, when senators
go into recess. Veteran
forecaster Charlie Cook
rates five seats, all held
by Republicans, as
toss-ups.