Milwaukee County Board Members: “Federal agents aren’t welcome here”

MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) -- Milwaukee County Board Members issued a joint statement Thursday, July 30 stating President Donald Trump's deployment of federal agents to Milwaukee under Operation Legend "aren't welcome."

County Supervisors Jason Haas, Sequanna Taylor, Steve Shea, Ryan Clancy, Joseph Czarnezki, and Shawn Rolland said in a statement:

“Federal agents aren’t welcome here. Legislation to address the legitimate concerns of those struggling in our neighborhoods and marching in our streets is. This White House is failing Milwaukee communities that are working tirelessly to fight an historically disruptive pandemic and the impacts of systemic racism at the same time."

The statement went on to call the deployment a "political stunt" after the Administration said they have no funding to help counties and cities, but are spending millions on tax dollars to deploy federal agents across the country. 

"If they will not help us safely reopen schools and businesses, prevent evictions, create jobs and affordable housing, deliver health care and mental health, dismantle systemic racism, and more – the least they can do is leave us alone," the statement said.

The statement by county board members said the protests have continued to be peaceful in Milwaukee since the National Guard left, as well as stating local law enforcement "for the most part" resisted unnecessary confrontations. 

“As Milwaukee has proven in the past, peaceful protest works, it is constitutionally protected, and it is our right. No federal or local authority has any interest in quelling this exercise of free speech," the statement reads. "We stand firmly opposed to the deployment of new or additional federal agents to Milwaukee at this time and we are committed to resisting any unlawful actions by federal officers."

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