THESE OFFICERS ARE TO CITIES
THAT ARE CONTROLLED BY
DEMOCRATIC LEADERSHIP.
JOINING US NOW, I AM VERY
PLEASED TO SAY IS THE FORMER
SECRETARY OF HOMELAND SECURITY
DURING THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION,
JEH JOHNSON.
HE ALSO PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS
GENERAL COUNSEL OF THE DEFENSE
DEPARTMENT
SECRETARY JOHNSON, IT’S A REAL
HONOR TO HAVE YOU WITH US
TONIGHT.
THANKS FOR MAKING TIME.
>> THANKS, RACHEL.
GOOD TO SEE YOU.
>> LET ME JUST ASK YOUR TOP-LINE
RESPONSE AND UNDERSTANDING ABOUT
THIS THE CONTROVERSY
HAVING BEEN IN CHARGE OF THE
HOMELAND SECURITY DEPARTMENT AND
KNOWING A LOT ABOUT ITS
CAPABILITIES, ITS
RESPONSIBILITIES AND THE THINGS
THAT IT’S ASKED TO DO, DO YOU
THINK THAT PEOPLE ARE OVER --
OVERREACTING IN THEIR RESPONSE,
THEIR CONCERN AND NOW ULTIMATELY
IN THESE LUPTSAWSUITS TRYING TO
THE DEPARTMENT FROM DEPLOYING
THESE OFFICERS INS WAY THAT
WE’VE SEEN PLAY OUT IN THE
STREETS OF PORTLAND?
>> SHORT ANSWER, NO, I DON’T
BELIEVE PEOPLE ARE OVERREACTING
TO WHAT IS GOING ON IN PORTLAND.
SO THE OBJECT OF ALL OF THIS, SO
FAR AS I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO
FIGURE OUT, IS THE HATFIELD
FEDERAL COURTHOUSE IN DOWNTOWN
PORTLAND AND AN ADJACENT FEDERAL
BUILDING, FORCES OF DHS THAT
HAVE BEEN DEPLOYED TO THE SCENE
ARE, FIRST, THE FEDERAL
PROTECTION SERVICE, WHICH IS A
COMPONENT OF DHS THAT REPORTS
DIRECTLY TO THE SECRETARY.
AND ITS CORE MISSION IS THE
PROTECTION OF CIVILIAN FEDERAL
BUILDINGS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
INTERESTINGLY, MOST MEMBERS OF
THE FEDERAL PROTECTION SERVICE
ARE ACTUALLY PRIVATE
CONTRACTORS.
AND THEN IN ADDITION TO THAT,
WHAT THE ACTING SECRETARY HAS
DONE AS -- IS TO ALSO DEPLOY
COMPONENTS OF IMMIGRATION
CUSTOMS ENFORCEMENT AND CUSTOMS
BORDER PROTECTION THAT ARE
PERSONALLY TRAINED FOR SPECIAL
OPERATIONS
THEY DO WEAR CAMOUFLAGE, BUT
THEY’RE SUPPOSED TO WEAR
EMBLEMS, PATCHES THAT INDICATE
THAT THEY ARE FEDERAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT.
NOW, THE PROBLEMS WITH DOING
THIS
PROBLEM NUMBER ONE, I DO NOT
UNDERSTAND HOW A FEDERAL LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICER CAN ARREST
SOMEONE, PUT THEM IN A
GOVERNMENT VEHICLE, TAKE THEM
AWAY WITHOUT PROBABLE CAUSE.
I DO NOT UNDERSTAND THAT
PROBLEM NUMBER TWO, IF THE MAYOR
AND THE GOVERNOR AND THE ENTIRE
CONGRESSIONAL DELEGATION OF THE
STATE ARE SAYING DON’T COME
HERE, I’D HAVE TO STOP AND ASK
EXACTLY WHAT I AM DOING.
PROBLEM NUMBER THREE, AND YOU
MADE REFERENCE TO THIS
WOULD DEPLOYING SUCH A FORCE
HEAVILY ARMED IN CAMOUFLAGED
GEAR LIKE WHAT YOU SEE RIGHT NOW
ON THE SCREEN, IF YOU DEPLOY
THEM, IS IT GOING TO INFLAME
TENSIONS
IS IT GOING TO BE UNDULY
PROVOCATIVE AND MAKE THE
SITUATION WORSE NOT BETTER
AND PROBLEM NUMBER FOUR -- AND I
USED TO TALK TO DHS COMPONENT
LEADERSHIP ALL THE TIME.
LET’S NOT ENGAGE IN
CONTROVERSIAL ONE-OFFS THAT WILL
HAVE THE ABILITY TO UNDERMINE
AND COMPROMISE OUR CORE
MISSIONS
ACROSS THE HOMELAND SECURITY
DEPARTMENT
AND SO I SEE A NUMBER OF
PROBLEMS WITH THIS, AND I THINK
PEOPLE SHOULD BE UPSET
IT DOES, RACHEL, SMACK OF A
POLITICAL TONE TO IT IN AN
