President Donald Trump has announced a significant expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement raids targeting sanctuary cities across the United States. The move marks an escalation in his administration's promised mass deportation program.
According to the Washington Examiner, Trump made the announcement via Truth Social on Sunday night, specifically naming New York City, Los Angeles, and Chicago as primary targets. These cities, which he described as the "core of the Democrat Power Center," are home to large immigrant populations.
The president's directive aims to fulfill his campaign promise of implementing what he called the "largest Mass Deportation Program in History." This expansion represents a significant shift in federal immigration enforcement priorities, focusing resources on major urban centers that have declared themselves sanctuary jurisdictions.
Trump's announcement specifically targets cities where local policies limit cooperation with federal immigration authorities. The president accused Democratic leaders in these locations of using "Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State."
In his Truth Social post, Trump emphasized that deportation efforts would focus on "crime ridden and deadly Inner Cities, and those places where Sanctuary Cities play such a big role." This language reflects his administration's consistent messaging that connects immigration with crime and economic concerns.
The president indicated that he has directed his "entire Administration to put every resource possible behind this effort" to address what he termed "Mass Destruction Migration." This suggests a whole-of-government approach to immigration enforcement under his second administration.
The announcement comes amid escalating tensions between the Trump administration and Democratic governors of states containing sanctuary cities. Several state leaders have publicly challenged federal immigration enforcement efforts.
During a recent congressional hearing, Governors J.B. Pritzker of Illinois and Kathy Hochul of New York both directly challenged Trump's border czar, Tom Homan, reportedly saying he could "arrest" them. This reflects the growing confrontational stance some Democratic leaders are taking.
Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson has also voiced opposition to immigration crackdowns, calling on residents to "resist in this moment." He emphasized that "whether we use the courts or whether we continue to protest or raise our voices, dissent matters in this moment."
The expanded deportation efforts followed violent anti-ICE riots in Los Angeles that prompted Trump to deploy both National Guard troops and Marines to restore order. This military deployment has become another flashpoint in the immigration debate.
California Governor Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass have condemned the federal intervention, arguing that state law enforcement could handle the situation. They've suggested the National Guard deployment has only worsened the violence rather than quelling it.
Newsom took legal action against the Trump administration over the deployment, with a judge initially ruling that Trump must return National Guard authority to California. However, an appeals court temporarily blocked that ruling early Friday, allowing federal forces to remain in place.
The expanding ICE operations highlight the fundamental conflict between federal immigration authority and states' rights that has characterized much of the immigration debate in recent years.
Trump's Truth Social post emphasized that the "Federal Government will continue to be focused on the REMIGRATION of Aliens to the places from where they came." This language signals his administration's determination to assert federal authority over immigration enforcement regardless of local sanctuary policies.
The deployment of military forces to Los Angeles and the expanded ICE operations in other major cities represent the most visible manifestation of this conflict between federal and state/local authorities over immigration enforcement priorities.
