After Democratic leaders dubbed his agents "stormtroopers" and "Gestapo," acting Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf defiantly rebutted criticism of his agency's response to rioting in Portland, vowing federal officers "will not retreat" from the Pacific Northwest city.
He urged rioters to "find another line of work."
"If you are a violent rioter looking to inflict damage on federal property or law enforcement officers, you need to find another line of work," Wolf said at a news conference, reported Fox News. "We will not retreat, we will continue to protect our facilities and our law-enforcement officers."
Portland has suffered 52 consecutive days of riots and protests since the death of George Floyd in police custody in Minneapolis.
DHS has deployed federal law enforcement to Portland this month in response to violence against federal property and monuments.
Federal officers have been attacked and injured with weapons, the agency said, such as hammers, fireworks and fecal matter. Some agents have been doxxed, the publishing of private information on the internet with malicious intent.
Critics, including top Democrats, claim federal officers have arrested suspects without identifying themsevles and put them in unmarked cars.
House Speaker Nancy Pelosi tweeted Friday: "Unidentified stormtroopers. Unmarked cars. Kidnapping protesters and causing severe injuries in response to graffiti. These are not the actions of a democratic republic. @DHSgov’s actions in Portland undermine its mission. Trump & his stormtroopers must be stopped."
In an interview Monday with CNN, House Majority Whip James Clyburn, D-S.C., compared federal law enforcement in Portland to Nazi Germany’s Gestapo police force.
DHS officials contested the Democrats' claim that officers are unidentified, posting images of officers with police and agency insignia.
Federal Protective Service Deputy Director of Operations Richard Cline explained to reporters that officers' names had been replaced with badge numbers because doxxers had put the personal information of about 38 officers online.
They argued their mission is to protect federal property, insisting officers were not roaming the streets.
'It's disgusting and it's also a lie'
Wolf criticized Portland Mayor Ted Wheeler, who has demanded that the federal agents both leave and clean up the grafitti on the federal courthouse.
The DHS chief noted the violence had been going on for more than a month in Portland before federal authorities arrived, disputing the claim that the feds were responsible for it.
"He would have you believe that enforcing federal law incites violence, he would have you believe that holding criminals accountable incites violence," he said.
Wolf urged local officials to "step up" to protect their communities.
Acting Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Mark Morgan blasted Pelosi and others for describing police as "stormtroopers."
"It is offensive, offensive to refer to these dedicated men and women that are out there, law enforcement professionals, to make that reference," he said. \
"It's disgusting and it's also a lie."
He said that while protecting federal property, law enforcement has the authority leave the property to go after someone suspected of criminal activity.
"Of course we're going to arrest you, we have the authority to make that arrest, and we will continue to do that," he said.
'No longer about George Floyd'
On Sunday, the president of the Portland Police Association, Daryl Turner, criticized elected officials in Oregon for ceding the city's security to violent rioters and looters, the Daily Wire reported.
At a press conference, one day after rioters had broken into the union's building and set fires inside, Turner, who is black, said it's "no longer about George Floyd."
"This is no longer about racial equity or social justice. This is no longer about reform or the evolution of policing," he said.
"This is about violence, rioting, destruction, chaos, anarchy, buildings on fire, dumpsters on fire, broken glass, and damaged businesses," Turner said.
"It is time to stand up. It is time to tell your elected officials that the city is under siege because of their inaction," he continued.
"Our elected officials have condoned the destruction and chaos of our city. They have invited privilege and entitlement to burn and destroy our buildings, businesses, and livelihoods."
'Complete failure'
On Saturday, the president of the Chicago Fraternal Order of Police, John Catanzara, wrote President Trump, asking for help from the federal government to fight "chaos" in the city and calling Mayor Lori Lightfoot a "complete failure."
"Mayor Lightfoot has proved to be a complete failure who is either unwilling or unable to maintain law and order here," he said.
Lightfoot fired back, calling Catanzara "an unhinged leader" who is "craven in trying to get — generate attention."
She said Chicago is "not going to have people that don’t know our streets, don’t know our neighborhoods, and then are engaging in clearly unconstitutional conduct, operating at will in our city."
"That is chaos. That is lawlessness," she said.
Over the weekend, 12 were killed in the city and dozens were injured by gunfire.
In a letter Monday, Lightfoot urged President Trump not to deploy federal agents who "arrest, and detain residents without any cause."
DHS is planning to deploy about 150 federal agents to Chicago this week, according to the Chicago Tribune.
White House: 'Derelict mayor'
Last week, Lightfoot reacted to Trump's warning that the federal government may intervene in Democratic-run cities where intractable violence has gotten worse since the death of George Floyd, contending the solution is even more gun control.
On Thursday, responding to a question at the White House news briefing, press secretary Kaylee McEnaney said the "derelict mayor of Chicago should step up and ask for federal help, because she's doing a very poor job at securing her streets."
Lightfoot fired back on Twitter, saying "Hey Karen, watch your mouth."
"Karen" has become a stereotypical name on social media to refer to a rude white lady with a bone to pick.