(The Hill) – President Trump on Sunday night directed U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to expand deportation efforts in cities run by Democrats following protests in Los Angeles over his immigration policies.
The president called on ICE “to do all in their power” to help reach the administration’s mass deportation goals while singling out Los Angeles, Chicago and New York for ramped-up enforcement efforts.
White House aide Stephen Miller said last month that the administration’s goals were a minimum of 3,000 ICE arrests a day.
“Our Nation’s ICE Officers have shown incredible strength, determination, and courage as they facilitate a very important mission, the largest Mass Deportation Operation of Illegal Aliens in History. Every day, the Brave Men and Women of ICE are subjected to violence, harassment, and even threats from Radical Democrat Politicians, but nothing will stop us from executing our mission, and fulfilling our Mandate to the American People,” Trump wrote on Truth Social.
“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,” the president added.
Trump called on federal agents to “expand efforts” to detain and deport undocumented immigrants in the country’s most populous cities, “where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside.”
“These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center, where 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 president charged. “These Radical Left Democrats are sick of mind, hate our Country, and actually want to destroy our Inner Cities — And they are doing a good job of it!”
Trump asserted that Democrats believe in “open borders” and that ICE efforts should be focused on blue cities.
“There is something wrong with them. That is why they believe in Open Borders, Transgender for Everybody, and Men playing in Women’s Sports — And that is why I want ICE, Border Patrol, and our Great and Patriotic Law Enforcement Officers, to FOCUS on our crime ridden and deadly Inner Cities, and those places where Sanctuary Cities play such a big role. You don’t hear about Sanctuary Cities in our Heartland!” Trump said.
The president said he has directed his “entire Administration to put every resource possible behind this effort, and reverse the tide of Mass Destruction Migration that has turned once Idyllic Towns into scenes of Third World Dystopia.”
The 407-word statement was signed “DJT.”
Trump’s post marks a broad escalation in his administration’s push to ramp up ICE arrests, moves that have sparked wide pushback from Democrats.
Last week the president deployed military troops to Los Angeles to mitigate protests in the city against ICE raids, leading to ongoing clashes and pushback from California Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), Mayor Karen Bass (D) and other Democrats.
And, late Thursday, a federal appeals court panel temporarily lifted a judge’s order ruling Trump’s deployment of the National Guard was illegal, allowing troops to continue helping with immigration raids in Los Angeles.
Read: Read More