Trump deploys more federal agents under ‘law-and-order’ push

Summary: To the dismay of local communities, the Trump administration has deployed federal agents to stop what he perceives as an increase in crime. Non-violent and often unarmed black civilians being killed by law enforcement have resulted in protests both in the offending cities and elsewhere around the country. Police departments have been trying to rehabilitate their image as a threat to communities of color. However, the federal agents are actually emboldening protestors, seemingly proving the narrative of a violent police state rather than make the cities safer.

“If those agents are here to actually work in partnership on support of gun violence and violent cases, plugging into existing infrastructure of federal agents, not trying to play police in our streets, then that’s something different,” (Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot) said

Related developments: Protests intensify in Los Angeles after Trump deploys hundreds of National Guard Troops. In 2025, ICE has begun largely skipping procedure such as warrants and evidence in favor of boosting the number of deportations. They've been accused of using race as a heuristic of citizenship in the absence of more hard evidence. Like in 2020, federal agents have been sent to a local government against its will. California's governor Gavin Newsom is suing the Trump administration with aims to withdraw the National Guard. Federal interference correlates with rising violence in Los Angeles. The mayor, Karen Bass, believes this relationship is causal.

“What we’re seeing in Los Angeles is chaos that is provoked by the administration”

Conclusion: Law enforcement both nationally and locally have an image problem. The term "Innocent until proven guilty" is considered the foundation on which the justice system is built. The reaction to seeing people presumed innocent being arrested, beaten, or killed by law enforcement makes it impossible to associate these agencies with safety. Any office seeking peace must prove themselves capable of it.