MADISON, Wis. (AP) — The U.S. attorney for Milwaukee is stressing that additional federal agents being sent to Milwaukee by President Donald Trump will help local and state law enforcement solve violent crimes, not break up protests.
Matt Krueger told reporters during a video conference Friday the agents' mission is to help solve violent crimes, not to patrol the streets.
He says he spent Thursday explaining the mission to local authorities.
Trump announced Thursday that he was sending federal agents to a number of U.S. cities, including Milwaukee, to combat violent crime.
Democrats have blasted the decision, pointing to how federal agents have recently been accused of using excessive force against protesters in Portland, Oregon.
Locally, Gov. Tony Evers, Mayor Tom Barrett, AG Josh Kaul, and the Milwaukee Police Department have all expressed their opposition to the agents' presence in Milwaukee.
