Last night, Trump's masked ICE agents arrested one of our members, an Air Force Academy graduate and veteran who served for two decades, at a peaceful immigration rally in Chicago. When they were told they were arresting a veteran, ICE agents responded: "His service doesn't matter."
We are working around the clock to get Dana released, but we know this is just one egregious example of Trump trampling on our rights and our democracy, which is why we are fighting back.
When masked federal agents can snatch people off the streets, point guns at bystanders, and arrest veterans at peaceful protests, we know we’re witnessing an unprecedented assault on American democracy in real time.
Donald Trump is unleashing masked federal agents and military troops into our neighborhoods — dragging people off the streets, terrorizing families, and treating American communities like occupied zones.
Congress has the power to stop this abuse of power. As veterans, military family members, and civilian supporters, we are demanding they act now!
(Full Petition Text Below)
End The Occupation Of American Neighborhoods Now!
As veterans and service members, we know what the military is for: defending our country against foreign threats. We did not swear an oath to patrol American streets, intimidate our fellow citizens, or be used as pawns in an authoritarian power grab.
That’s why we’re sounding the alarm: Donald Trump is sending masked federal agents and military troops into our communities, dragging people off the streets, terrorizing families, and treating American neighborhoods like occupied enemy territory. This is a blatant abuse of power, and an attack on the freedoms that generations of Americans fought to defend.
Trump cannot convince the American people to accept his extremist, billionaire-backed agenda, so he is trying to impose it through force. By unleashing armed agents into our neighborhoods, he is turning government into a weapon against our freedoms, our families, and our futures. This is the playbook of dictators throughout history: when they cannot win over the people, they try to rule by force.
What began in one city has already spread to multiple others and it will not end there. Unless Congress acts, Trump will extend this campaign of fear until it reaches every town and neighborhood in America.
Our Demand
We demand that Congress act immediately to rein in this abuse of power, stop Trump from turning our communities into occupied zones, and reaffirm that the U.S. military and federal agencies serve the people, not the whims of one man.
This requires bold, bipartisan action. There is no single solution — we need comprehensive reform of the laws that have allowed this dangerous erosion of American freedoms. Congress must step up now to close the loopholes, end the abuses, and make clear that our government cannot be turned into a weapon against its own people.
What Congress Must Do
— Guarantee transparency and accountability — ban masked and unidentified agents, require visible ID and agency insignia, and mandate immediate public reporting whenever federal forces are deployed against civilians.
— Keep military and paramilitary forces off our streets — reform the Insurrection Act and close loopholes in the Posse Comitatus Act so presidents cannot unilaterally use active-duty troops, the National Guard, or DHS units like ICE, CBP, and BORTAC as domestic police.
— End the flow of military weapons into our communities — shut down the 1033 Program and stop transferring tanks, assault rifles, and combat gear from the Pentagon to local police departments.
— Cut off funding for abuses of power — block federal dollars from being spent on militarized troop deployments, DHS/ICE paramilitary surges, or arming police with weapons of war.
Add your name to tell Trump and Congress: No war on our streets. Not now. Not ever.