The Justice Department distributed an internal memo calling on federal prosecutors to speed up handing out criminal cases, a reaction to disturbances rising from the ongoing immigration enforcement activity across the country.
“Across the country we have seen instances of rioting, looting, arson, destruction of property, assaults on officers (federal, state, and local), and obstruction of federal immigration enforcement efforts,” said the CBS News article. “[T]he Department has zero tolerance for any such criminal behavior.”
The Justice Department said it respects people having the right to peaceful protest within their communities, until they become violent or dangerous. Several recent criminal cases of criminal activity included obstruction of immigration operations, assaults on officers, or interference with ongoing immigration actions, the report said.
“As we have said repeatedly, the Department respects the right to peaceful protest and assemble to engage on important issues,” a Justice Department spokesperson told CBS News. “However, the Department and its 94 U.S. Attorney Offices will not tolerate unlawful violence and destruction of property. We are prepared to respond accordingly.”
The memo asked local offices to prepare for an influx of cases saying, “All [U.S. Attorney Office] leadership and the entire Criminal Division should be on standby. There should be no bottleneck of referrals for complaints and legal process.”
Arrests and charges filed against several people for interfering with ongoing immigration actions included longtime union leader, David Huerta. Huerta was charged with conspiracy in Los Angeles after he sat in front of a staging area to “stop the vehicles” during Immigration and Customs Enforcement operations.
New Jersey Representative LaMonica McIver, (D) also faces felony charges for attempting to prevent federal agents from arresting Newark’s mayor.
“During her continued attempts to thwart the arrest, McIver slammed her forearm into the body of one law enforcement officer and also reached out and tried to restrain that officer by forcibly grabbing him,” said the article.
In a statement, McIver said she would prove in court that the indictment and the allegations against her are a political attack.
“The facts of this case will prove I was simply doing my job and will expose these proceedings for what they are: a brazen attempt at political intimidation,” the article said.