President Donald Trump has ordered U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to intensify deportation operations in the nation’s largest cities, marking a significant escalation in his administration’s hardline immigration strategy.
The directive, confirmed by senior administration officials Monday, instructs ICE to focus enforcement in metropolitan areas with large undocumented populations, including New York City, Los Angeles, Chicago, and Houston. Officials say the goal is to remove undocumented immigrants with final removal orders.
“We’re enforcing the law as Congress wrote it,” said Homeland Security Secretary Chad Wolf. “This is about restoring law and order in our cities.”
Targeted Cities and Political Blowback
The expansion will rely on ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) teams and will prioritize sanctuary cities—jurisdictions where local law enforcement limits cooperation with federal immigration authorities.
The move has already drawn condemnation from Democratic mayors and immigrant advocacy groups. New York Mayor Alexandria Wiley called the initiative “an inhumane political stunt designed to intimidate immigrant families.” California Governor Gavin Newsom echoed the sentiment, calling the policy “morally bankrupt and operationally reckless.”
Legal, Political, and Humanitarian Implications
The Trump administration’s expanded deportation push is likely to intensify legal battles over immigration enforcement, particularly in sanctuary jurisdictions where federal and local law enforcement priorities frequently clash.
Advocates warn that ramping up removals in densely populated cities could result in widespread fear in immigrant communities and potential violations of civil liberties.
“This is not about public safety,” said Marisol Vázquez, director of the National Immigration Law Center. “This is about sowing fear and using immigrants as scapegoats for political gain.”
Trump’s Broader Immigration Agenda
The president’s latest order is consistent with his broader effort to redefine immigration policy in the U.S. Since returning to office, Trump has pushed a series of aggressive measures aimed at curbing illegal immigration and deterring asylum seekers, including:
- Military-style border enforcement.
- Reinstatement of “Remain in Mexico.”
- Strict asylum eligibility requirements.
- Efforts to end birthright citizenship.
With immigration again a central theme of his reelection campaign, Trump has sought to portray himself as the candidate of “law and borders” while painting Democrats as advocates of “open borders and chaos.”
ICE Resources and Civil Rights Scrutiny
According to internal memos obtained by Bloomberg, ICE has requested additional resources for this new phase of operations, including federal air marshals and expanded data-sharing tools.
The Department of Justice is also expected to defend the initiative against lawsuits challenging its constitutionality.
Meanwhile, civil rights groups are preparing legal challenges and organizing “know your rights” workshops in targeted cities.
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