1. United States
2. Maine
3. Letter

I am appalled by the recent events in Los Angeles: appalled by Trump's lies, appalled by the violence of the ICE agents, appalled by the summoning of the National Guard using a rare and unconvincing legal justification. I read: "...Trump has circumvented that step [ie the national guard being summoned by the governor of a state ] by invoking a specific provision of the US Code of Armed Services titled 10 U.S.C. 12406, which lists three circumstances under which the president can federalise the National Guard. If the US "is invaded or is in danger of invasion by a foreign nation"; "there is a rebellion or danger of a rebellion" against the government; or "the president is unable with the regular forces to execute the laws of the United States." (Per BBC news). None of these reasons obtains for the situation in LA. There was NOT an invasion by a foreign nation; there was NO danger of a rebellion; there was no imminent failure of presidential ability to enforce the law. I ask you to hold hearings and do oversight. I call on you to condemn this use of the National Guard. Do not tolerate this abuse of the law. Do not tolerate the slippery slope to military dictatorship. Please use every means at your disposal to condemn and check such abusive deployment of the national guard. I have written to you before to ask that ICE be reined in. That issue is now more urgent than ever.