President Donald Trump is intensifying his administration’s crackdown on undocumented immigration, this time focusing on major U.S. cities governed by Democrats. In a sweeping directive issued Sunday, the president ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement—ICE—to ramp up deportation efforts in urban centers such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York City.
In a message posted on social media, President Trump called for what he described as the “largest mass deportation program in history,” instructing ICE agents to, quote, “do all in their power” to remove what he referred to as “millions upon millions of illegal aliens” from these cities.
The announcement comes on the heels of widespread protests erupting across the country over the administration’s hardline immigration stance. Over the weekend, demonstrators filled streets in Los Angeles and other cities as part of the “No Kings” protests, which coincided with a grand military parade celebrating the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Army in Washington, D.C.
While most protests remained peaceful, police in Los Angeles and Portland deployed tear gas and crowd control tactics to disperse demonstrators near federal buildings, including ICE facilities.
According to senior White House adviser Stephen Miller, the goal is to raise daily ICE arrests to 3,000 a day, a staggering increase from the current average of 650. Yet, amid growing backlash and concern from American business leaders, the administration is pausing enforcement in select industries. A senior official confirmed that Trump has ordered immigration raids to halt at farms, hotels, and restaurants—sectors hit the hardest by the loss of undocumented workers.
The president acknowledged this economic tension in a recent post on Truth Social, saying he has heard from agriculture, hospitality, and tourism executives who are struggling due to the crackdown. In response, changes are reportedly underway to ease enforcement in those critical labor sectors.
A memo sent by Tatum King, a top ICE official, instructed field teams to suspend operations targeting meatpacking facilities, restaurants, and hospitality employers, further reflecting this policy shift.
Meanwhile, President Trump linked the deployment of National Guard troops in Los Angeles to the relative calm observed during protests there, telling reporters, “If we didn’t have the National Guard on call and ready, they would rip Los Angeles apart.” He made the remarks before departing for the G7 economic summit in Alberta, Canada.
This aggressive stance on immigration continues to spark intense debate nationwide, pitting concerns about national security and law enforcement against humanitarian and economic pressures.
We will keep you informed as developments unfold.
Reporting by Katy Moore.
