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President Donald Trump has directed US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to intensify deportation efforts in Democratic-led cities.
Some shit you should know before you read: Over the weekend, news broke that the Trump administration directed ICE to halt workplace raids in the agriculture, hospitality, and restaurant sectors (a notable reversal of previous enforcement practices). In an internal DHS communication, ICE officials were instructed to suspend all worksite investigations and operations targeting these industries, with exceptions only for cases involving serious crimes such as human trafficking, money laundering, and drug smuggling. The directive also prohibits the arrest of “noncriminal collaterals” (illegal immigrants with no criminal offenses beyond immigration violations). This shift came after President Trump acknowledged that deportation efforts were inadvertently harming sectors heavily reliant on immigrant labor, particularly farms and hotels, where long-standing workers were being removed and proving “almost impossible to replace.” The reversal was driven by mounting pressure from Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins and influential business leaders, who warned that continued raids were deepening labor shortages and threatening economic stability in critical parts of the workforce.
What’s going on now: In a notable development, President Trump has now ordered ICE to escalate deportation operations in Democratic-run cities. In a statement on Truth Social, Trump wrote, “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.” He specifically named cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York as centers he claims are home to “Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens” as primary targets for intensified enforcement.
Trump accused Democratic leaders of creating “Sanctuary Cities” that shield illegal immigrants and undermine federal law. He argued that these cities serve as “the core of the Democrat Power Center,” alleging that Democrats use illegal immigrants to “cheat in Elections,” “expand their Voter Base,” and “grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens.”
He further claimed that “Radical Left Democrats are sick of mind, hate our Country, and actually want to destroy our Inner Cities,” framing the initiative as a mission to rescue American communities from decay.
The directive has drawn immediate backlash from Democratic officials, particularly in California. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass criticized the ICE raids, saying they were “creating a sense of fear” that threatens to destabilize local economies and essential workforce sectors.
