As a Michigan resident, I was deeply disturbed by having federal forces encroach on our cities in the name of reinforcing security. They were neither needed nor wanted by the city’s elected officials. It was especially alarming considering how no rational justification had been provided for their action, calling into question the motive behind the government’s decision.

Many citizens of Detroit, including myself, believed that the decision to have federal security forces intervene was simply an excuse for the government to silence peaceful and respectful protests. The protests were neither violent nor were they uncontrollable. 

The brave 2,200 officers of the Detroit Police Department did a fantastic job at keeping any violence at bay in every nook and cranny of the 139 square miles of our city. As Detroit police chief James Craig himself released in a joint statement with Mayor Mike Duggan, ensuring the department had been working with the community to ensure “not a single store is looted or a single fire started’ in any of the protests in the city. As such, why would there be a need to spend precious national resources where they are not even needed?

The answer is clear as to the underlying motive: politics. In fact, not just in Detroit, Former President Trump ordered forces to be sent to other cities, including Chicago, Portland, and Philadelphia- all areas controlled primarily by Democrats. This raises serious questions about whether this action was born of necessity or a campaign tactic to appear active. The ploy of increasing public health and safety becomes completely irrelevant, considering that these cities are already peaceful in their protests. In contrast to other cities, the Detroit Police Department has, in fact, never asked for any assistance from the national guard to be sent in at all.

I, therefore, do not see any possible reason for the federal intervention other than to silence the ongoing protests. This has already been proven in cities like Portland, where protestors were literally snatched from the streets and put into unnamed vehicles by the federal police without explaining why or where they would be detained. 

This is not only unjust but a severe breach of our fundamental rights as citizens of the US and an alarming action when because the orders came from our former President, who is supposed to be the patron of our rights. Who is to guarantee that the same behavior won’t be imposed over the peaceful movement that the citizens of Michigan are currently leading?

As such, my opinion is loud and clear: stop the federal government from interfering with our cities in the name of security. We can all see the political agenda lurking behind it, and we do not need federal intervention in a country where freedom of speech is a constitutional right.