American Oversight Launches Investigation Into Federal Policing of Freedom 250 Events in Wake of Reflecting Pool Arrests

Wednesday, American Oversight launched an investigation into the Trump administration’s federal law enforcement preparations for this week’s Freedom 250 celebrations, including events centered around the Lincoln Memorial Reflecting Pool that have drawn heightened public attention and concerns about the treatment of protesters by law enforcement. 

We filed Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) requests seeking records concerning the U.S. Marshals Service’s deputization of state and local law enforcement officers for Freedom 250 events. The government has released little information about this beyond announcing that the deputizations occurred. The requests seek to determine which officers were granted federal authority and what guidance governs their conduct.

The public has a strong interest in understanding how the federal government is preparing to police one of the nation’s highest-profile public celebrations, particularly when extraordinary federal authorities are being granted to non-federal law enforcement agencies. In recent months, there has been heightened public scrutiny of similar deputizations through the Trump administration’s controversial expansion of 287(g) agreements, which authorize state and local officers to perform certain federal immigration enforcement functions. Transparency regarding the scope of any federal deputization — and the safeguards governing its use — is essential to maintaining public trust and protecting constitutional rights.

“When the federal government grants state and local officers sweeping federal law enforcement authority ahead of nationally significant public events, the American people deserve to know who has been given those powers and the rules governing their use,” said Chioma Chukwu, Executive Director of American Oversight. “As the nation marks its 250th anniversary, Americans should have confidence that these authorities are being exercised responsibly, with appropriate oversight, and not used to target protected speech or peaceful protest. Our investigation seeks records that will help provide those answers.”

We are seeking records concerning all final orders, directives, guidance, protocols, and policies provided to deputized officers for Freedom 250 events, as well as records identifying participating state and local law enforcement agencies and the officers granted federal authority. 

Federal deputization grants state and local officers authority to perform certain federal law enforcement functions, making public oversight of those authorities especially important during one of the nation’s largest public celebrations. At a moment intended to commemorate the nation’s founding ideals, transparency and accountability are essential to ensuring those powers are exercised lawfully and in a manner that respects the constitutional rights of everyone participating.