In a letter to the House of Representatives and the Senate, the Democratic mayors of the cities of Portland, Seattle, Washington DC, Chicago, Kansas City and Albuquerque demand that the president's deployment of federal police in their cities be stopped.

"We call on Congress to pass legislation that clarifies that these measures are illegal and disgusting," they write.

According to the mayors, the measure is against the law because it took place without the approval of local authorities.

Escalated protests, protester shot dead

The mayors' demands come after a weekend of escalating Black Lives Matter demonstrations and increased violence in several places in the United States. In Texas, a 28-year-old protester was shot dead during a BLM protest in the city of Austin.

In the state of Oregon, it was announced on Monday that 22 people will be arrested on suspicion of having committed a number of federal crimes. In Oakland, California, protesters are condemned by the Democratic mayor for widespread vandalism.

Threatens 10 years in prison

However, President Trump believes that federal forces are needed to restore order and protect federal buildings. On Twitter, the president threatens ten years in prison for "anarchists, agitators and protesters who vandalize and destroy…"

According to the Washington Post, the president is about to send another 150 federal police to the riots in Portland, Oregon, where the federal effort has so far received harsh criticism from mainly democrats, including for violence and for removing protesters in unmarked vehicles.  

On Tuesday afternoon, Minister of Justice William Barr will be questioned in the House of Representatives' Democrat-controlled Justice Committee about the decision to deploy federal forces. In a prepared statement, Barr explains that the measure is legal and that "the state's most fundamental responsibility is to ensure the rule of law, so that people can live in safety and without fear."