Miami, FL – President Donald Trump has directed the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to intensify deportation efforts in major Democratic cities. In a message shared on his Truth Social account, President Trump emphasized the need for ICE officers to engage in what he described as the “largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”
The directive, issued as President Trump traveled to Canada for the G7 summit, underscores a push by the administration to fulfill its immigration enforcement goals. The President’s call comes amid reports of ICE striving to meet arrest quotas set by the White House, aiming for 3,000 immigration-related arrests per day. Despite public endorsements of these efforts, internal sources have suggested the administration has faced challenges in achieving these targets.
In his social media post, President Trump specifically targeted Democratic strongholds, referring to them as “Democrat Power Centers,” and claimed, without providing evidence, that undocumented immigrants are being used by political opponents to manipulate elections and expand welfare programs. “We must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside,” he asserted.
This intensification of immigration enforcement has already sparked protests, particularly in Los Angeles. Recent federal raids in the city led to demonstrations, prompting President Trump to deploy National Guard troops and Marines to manage the unrest. The protests have since spread nationwide, with “No Kings” demonstrations drawing hundreds of thousands of anti-Trump protesters over the weekend.
Since the onset of the Trump administration, ICE has shifted its focus to align with President Trump’s campaign promises of mass deportations, moving away from previous guidelines prioritizing public safety and national security threats. The current strategy has placed significant pressure on industries heavily reliant on immigrant labor, including agriculture and hospitality. President Trump acknowledged these challenges on Truth Social, noting the difficulties faced by farmers and the hospitality sector due to the administration’s stringent immigration policies. “Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long-time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace,” he stated, while reiterating the need to remove “criminals” from the country.
The administration’s stance continues to stir debate and opposition as it seeks to ramp up immigration enforcement efforts across the United States.