Trump says federal agents won’t intervene in anti-ICE protests unless asked to do so

WASHINGTON — President Trump said Saturday that he has instructed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem to tell agents to not intervene in protests occurring in cities led by Democrats unless local authorities ask for federal help amid mounting criticism of his administration’s immigration crackdown.

On his social media site, Trump posted that “under no circumstances are we going to participate in various poorly run Democrat Cities with regard to their Protests and/or Riots unless, and until, they ask us for help.”

He provided no details on how his order would affect operations by Customs and Border Protection personnel or that of other federal agencies, but added: “We will, however, guard, and very powerfully so, any and all Federal Buildings that are being attacked by these highly paid Lunatics, Agitators, and Insurrectionists.”

Trump said that, in addition to his instructions to Noem, he had directed “ICE and/or Border Patrol to be very forceful in this protection of Federal Government Property.”

Later Saturday night, Trump said to reporters as he flew to Florida for the weekend that he believed Democratic cities are “always complaining.”

“If they want help, they have to ask for it. Because if we go in, all they do is complain,” Trump said.

He predicted that those cities would need help, but said if their leaders seek it from the federal government, “they have to say ‘please.’”

The Trump administration has already deployed the National Guard or federal law enforcement officials in a number of Democratic-led cities, including Washington, Los Angeles, Chicago and Portland, Ore. But Saturday’s order comes as opposition to such tactics has grown, particularly in Minnesota’s Twin Cities region.

Minnesota Atty. Gen. Keith Ellison and the mayors of Minneapolis and St. Paul have challenged a federal immigration enforcement surge in those cities, arguing that Homeland Security is violating constitutional protections.

A federal judge ruled Saturday that she won’t halt enforcement operations as the lawsuit proceeds. State and local officials had sought a quick order to halt the enforcement action or limit its scope. Justice Department lawyers have called the lawsuit “legally frivolous.”

The state, and particularly the Twin Cities, has been on edge after federal officers fatally shot two people in the city: Renee Good on Jan. 7 and Alex Pretti on Jan. 24. Thousands of people have taken to the streets to protest the federal immigration presence in Minnesota and across the country.

Trump’s border advisor, Tom Homan, has suggested the administration could reduce the number of immigration enforcement officers in Minnesota — but only if state and local officials “cooperate.” Trump sent Homan to Minneapolis after the killings of Good and Pretti, seeming to signal a willingness to ease tensions in Minnesota.

The president said Saturday night that he intended to speak to Homan and Noem on Sunday and he seemed to endorse the idea of immigration agents wearing body cameras or having their interactions recorded on video.

Trump was asked by a reporter whether he thought it was a good thing to have more cameras capturing incidents with law enforcement. “I think it would help law enforcement, but I’d have to talk to them,” he said.

He went on and added: “That works both ways. But overall, I think it’s 80% in favor of law enforcement.”

Weissert writes for the Associated Press. AP writer Michelle L. Price in Washington contributed to this report.