President Donald Trump has instructed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials to intensify efforts to detain and deport migrants from major Democratic-controlled cities, despite facing widespread protests against this crackdown. In a post on Truth Social, Trump urged ICE officers to execute the “single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” particularly targeting cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York. The directive followed protests in response to ICE raids in Los Angeles, leading Trump to deploy National Guard and Marines to restore order, as demonstrations spread nationwide during the “No Kings” rallies.

Trump emphasized the need to target illegal immigrants in major cities, which he claimed are Democratic strongholds where illegal aliens are used to bolster voter bases and manipulate elections. He urged ICE to focus on crime-ridden inner cities and sanctuary cities, highlighting the impact on American citizens. Notably, Trump recently pledged policy changes to safeguard migrant farmers, hotel workers, and individuals in the leisure industry from deportation due to concerns raised about labor shortages.

ICE had already escalated deportation efforts following White House demands to increase arrests of undocumented migrants, tripling daily quotas to 3,000. Despite this, the total number of deportations under Trump’s administration was lower than during a similar period under former President Joe Biden, attributed to reduced migrant arrivals at the border. Notably, border crossings have significantly decreased during Trump’s second term, with monthly encounters dropping from over 100,000 to fewer than 10,000.