President Donald Trump on Sunday directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement to intensify deportation efforts in major Democratic-led cities, calling for what he described as the "single largest Mass Deportation Program in History." The directive, issued via Truth Social, comes amid nationwide protests, ICE quota pressures, and backlash from industries dependent on immigrant labor.
"ICE Officers are herewith ordered, by notice of this TRUTH, to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History," Trump wrote from Air Force One as he traveled to the G7 summit in Canada.
The order follows weeks of anti-ICE demonstrations across cities including Los Angeles, Portland, and New York, where large-scale immigration raids have taken place. Protests have remained largely peaceful, but violence erupted in some areas, including a fatal shooting of a bystander during a protest in Salt Lake City on Saturday.
Trump's message specifically targeted "America's largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York," accusing Democratic leaders of using undocumented immigrants "to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State."
He added, "The American People want our Cities, Schools, and Communities to be SAFE and FREE from Illegal Alien Crime, Conflict, and Chaos." Trump also said he has directed his administration to allocate "every resource possible" to the deportation effort, including the National Guard, which was deployed in Los Angeles earlier this month.
The Department of Homeland Security has reportedly tasked ICE with meeting an internal goal of 3,000 immigration-related arrests per day, according to sources familiar with agency operations. However, officials have acknowledged falling short of that number despite increasing enforcement at courthouses, work sites, and even immigration check-ins.
ICE has conducted several high-profile raids since early June, arresting hundreds of individuals, including many with criminal records. However, critics argue that the raids have also swept up non-criminal workers and separated families.
"I don't think the president understands that we have entire sectors of our economy that cannot function without immigrant labor," said Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass during an appearance on CNN's State of the Union.
Concerns about economic fallout have forced the administration to temper enforcement in certain sectors. According to The New York Times, ICE received internal guidance to avoid deportation raids at agricultural sites, restaurants, and hotels, and to steer clear of "noncriminal collaterals" amid fears of labor shortages.
Trump acknowledged the disruption last week, writing on Truth Social: "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."
Despite the criticism, Trump doubled down Sunday. "Our Federal Government will continue to be focused on the REMIGRATION of Aliens to the places from where they came, and preventing the admission of ANYONE who undermines the domestic tranquility of the United States," he wrote.
Anti-Trump demonstrations surged over the weekend, with crowds rallying under the banner of "No Kings," demanding an end to what organizers called authoritarian immigration policies. Several marches took place outside ICE facilities, with demonstrators accusing the administration of racial profiling and human rights violations.
