President Donald Trump directed federal immigration officials on Sunday to prioritize deporting migrants from Democratic-run cities following large-scale anti-ICE protests across Los Angeles and several other cities.
Trump took to Truth Social to order U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers “to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”
“In order to achieve this, 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.”
The president then accused Democrat-run cities of using “Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens.”
“These Radical Left Democrats are sick of mind, hate our Country, and actually want to destroy our Inner Cities — And they are doing a good job of it!” Trump ranted.
Trump’s decree comes amid weeks of increased enforcement, and as Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff, said ICE would try to make at least 3,000 arrests a day.
His latest demand also seemingly contradicts orders he gave to ICE to pause arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels as they negatively impact those industries.
Protests over Trump’s immigration enforcement raids have popped up across the country following a string of ICE raids in Los Angeles that prompted the president to deploy thousands of National Guard troops and Marines to the Golden State.
Those opposing Trump’s immigration policies also took to the streets Saturday to participate in “No Kings” demonstrations — which coincided with a massive military parade Trump held in Washington for the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army.
Event organizers said at least five million demonstrators participated in over 2,000 protests across all 50 states this weekend.
