As protests against immigration enforcement turn to violence across the U.S., one Democratic senator is accusing the Trump administration of faking rioting out of authoritarian impulse.

Democratic Sen. Jeff Merkley of Oregon made the claims Wednesday while speaking to reporters at the U.S. Capitol even as the administration ramped up law enforcement efforts to aid ICE agents and facilities under siege from protesters.

'This is unacceptable. This is wrong. This is un-American.This is authoritarianism, plain and simple.'

"This is the first time I know of, at least in my lifetime, that the federal government has faked a riot in order to try to justify the Insurrection Act being invoked,” Merkley said, according to CNN's Manu Raju.

Raju said Merkley cited local reporting that claimed fed

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