Trump Orders Mass Deportation Program Targeting Democratic Cities

President Trump has directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to significantly escalate deportation efforts, focusing on large, Democratic-controlled cities. This directive, announced via a Truth Social post on June 15th, calls for ICE to undertake "the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History."

The order follows recent protests in Los Angeles and other cities sparked by ICE raids. Trump has responded to these demonstrations, which included "No Kings" rallies, by deploying the National Guard and Marines. He alleges that cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York are hubs for undocumented immigrants who bolster the Democratic Party's voter base and strain the welfare system. Trump further claims these cities contribute to job losses and reduced benefits for American citizens.

Trump specifically instructed ICE to target "crime ridden and deadly Inner Cities" and sanctuary cities, implying these issues are less prevalent in more conservative areas of the country. The president's message concluded with a firm call to action: "Now go, GET THE JOB DONE!"

This directive marks a shift from Trump's comments just days prior, where he expressed concern about labor shortages in the agricultural and leisure industries due to deportations. He acknowledged the reliance of these sectors on migrant workers, stating that farmers were "being hurt badly."

Despite Trump's recent focus on mass deportations, data suggests his administration is lagging behind previous administrations in actual deportations. Tom Homan, Trump's border czar, reported approximately 200,000 deportations over a four-month period, a figure lower than that of Joe Biden during a comparable timeframe. The White House attributes this discrepancy to a decrease in border crossings.

Indeed, migrant encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border have decreased significantly during Trump's second term, falling to under 10,000 per month, a sharp contrast to the over 100,000 monthly encounters reported a year ago.

This renewed emphasis on deportations, particularly targeting major Democratic cities, signals a hardline stance on immigration despite concerns about its economic impact and declining border encounters.