Trump Orders Largest Mass Deportation Program in U.S. History, Targeting Major Democratic Cities

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff   

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering the USA

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Image Source: Tasos Katopodis

President Donald Trump has directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to significantly expand efforts to detain and deport undocumented immigrants in Democratic-led cities, marking a sharp escalation in his administration's immigration enforcement strategy.

In a late-night post on Truth Social on June 15, Trump called for what he described as “the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History,” urging ICE agents to “do all in their power” to execute the expanded operation. The directive targets major urban areas such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where the administration claims millions of undocumented immigrants reside.

“These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center,” Trump wrote. “They use Illegal Aliens to expand their Voter Base, cheat in Elections, and grow the Welfare State, robbing good paying Jobs and Benefits from Hardworking American Citizens.”

The announcement follows a week of protests in response to ICE raids, particularly in Los Angeles, where demonstrations turned violent, prompting Trump to deploy the National Guard and Marines. Coordinated rallies under the banner "No Kings" also swept across the nation on June 14.

Trump emphasized the focus on “crime-ridden and deadly Inner Cities” and criticized the role of sanctuary cities in undermining federal immigration laws. “You don’t hear about Sanctuary Cities in our Heartland!” he stated. “Now go, GET THE JOB DONE!”

Despite the sweeping enforcement push, Trump offered a contrasting tone just days earlier. On June 12, he acknowledged concerns from agricultural and hospitality sectors about labor shortages stemming from mass deportations. “Our farmers are being hurt badly,” Trump said. “They have very good workers. They’ve worked for them for 20 years… they’ve turned out to be, you know, great.”

The president suggested future policy revisions to protect migrant laborers in key economic sectors, but stopped short of detailing any formal exemptions.

According to ICE sources cited by Reuters, deportation operations have already intensified, with daily arrest targets increasing from 1,000 to 3,000. Administration officials say over 200,000 individuals have been deported in the past four months, though that figure remains below similar figures from the early months of the Biden administration.

Notably, illegal border crossings have dropped dramatically since Trump’s return to office. Monthly encounters at the U.S.-Mexico border have fallen below 10,000 a stark contrast to over 100,000 a year earlier.

As immigration policy continues to be a defining issue of Trump’s second term, the administration has vowed to continue aggressive enforcement, even as industries and civil rights groups express growing concern over the social and economic consequences.