DHS Emails Show Top Lawyer Urging Force Against Protesters

Internal DHS Emails Reveal Provocative Advice on Protester Handling

In a recent podcast episode, we delve into the controversial emails from the Department of Homeland Security, where a top lawyer suggested using force against protesters during an anti-ICE demonstration in Los Angeles last June. Joseph Mazzara, then acting general counsel, proposed hitting rioters and arresting those who couldnt escape after they tried breaching a federal building. These emails surfaced through a Freedom of Information Act request by a nonprofit watchdog group.

The emails were part of discussions around a lawsuit from California Governor Gavin Newsom challenging President Trumps deployment of National Guard troops to the city. Protesters had thrown objects at officers and used dumpsters as a battering ram, according to court records from the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Critics argue that Mazzaras comments reflect a hostility towards civil liberties and poor legal advice for frontline agents, potentially leading to constitutional issues during tense protests. Mazzara later became deputy commissioner at Customs and Border Protection and recently moved to the State Department with former DHS Secretary Kristi Noem.

The Supreme Court also questioned the use of troops for domestic operations, prompting Trump to pull back National Guard from Los Angeles and other cities in December. While protests caused some property damage downtown, grand juries declined to indict many demonstrators, and most reported assaults on agents resulted in no injuries, highlighting ongoing debates over federal responses to immigration unrest.

Support the show:
Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn.

Advertise on DNN:
[email protected]

This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.
Report issues to [email protected].

View sources & latest updates:
https://sources.thednn.ai/b7a051358acbdffa