On January 2nd, 2016 the Malheur National Wildlife Refuge was taken over by militiamen led and organized by Ammon and Ryan Bundy. This break in is believed to be a response to the imprisonment of two local Oregon ranchers (Dwight and Steve Hammond) who are said to have burned down government land for grazing purposes. This standoff was a conflict between the ranchers of Oregon over the people's grazing rights. Protesters have gathered in this wildlife refuge to demand that the government return the land to the people. These protesters consist of local ranchers, who have a history of breaking the law for the purposes of their ranch. While some people support the protest, others argue that it's an act of terrorism against the people and that it needs to come to an end. They argue that the land that the Bundy's are trying to "reclaim" aren't even theirs in the first place and that the government is well within its powers to regulate the land and convict those who commit crimes against the laws set by the government.
On January 26th, 2016, Ammon Bundy and his group were arrested and one man (LaVoy Finicum) was unfortunately shot and killed as it had become an armed protest and violence was initiated. Bundy and his group were then charged with federal felony and denied bail when they approached court with the defense that they were protesting for the protection of the rights of the people and their freedom. The judge assigned their case denied their bail and forbade their release from containment until all of the people involved in the occupation left the wildlife refuge and returned home, thus bringing the standoff to an end.