Department of Homeland Security spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin said the administration is looking into “funding streams” for “highly organized” ICE protests around the country.
McLaughlin, who is the DHS assistant secretary for public affairs, joined Fox News on Saturday just as President Donald Trump announced he was sending troops to Portland and other cities to protect ICE facilities “under siege from attack by Antifa, and other domestic terrorists.”
“I am also authorizing Full Force, if necessary,” he added.
Attorney General Pam Bondi also announced she is sending DOJ agents to ICE facilities, also saying they are “under siege.” The moves follow a Dallas ICE facility being targeted by a shooter this week. McLaughlin and others have also noted that assaults on ICE agents are up more than 1000%.
McLaughlin said on Saturday that Trump has “directed a whole of government approach” to look into the funding behind ICE protests.
She said:
What we’re seeing is these riots and these protests are becoming highly organized. We’re seeing that people are being bussed in. We’re looking at, and President Trump has directed a whole-of-government approach to be looking at those funding streams. Who is sowing this chaos and this violence in American communities? And who’s paying for this? So whether it be in Portland, whether it in Chicago or otherwise, we will bring the resources we need to make sure that Americans are safe.
“How do you go about defunding, or at least targeting, the cash? Because I don’t believe this is as organic as some people suggest,” Fox’s Kevin Corke asked McLaughlin.
“We’re seeing a lot of paid protesters, that they actually do this full-time for a living. They’ll go from city to city, whether it be Portland, Chicago, or Los Angeles, and they’re showing up,” she said. “They don’t even know what the heck they’re protesting for. They’re just there to create chaos, to obstruct our officers and really sometimes violence is what we’re seeing a lot.”
Watch above via Fox News.
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