President Donald Trump’s back and forth on his immigration stance is keeping everyone on their toes. Trump surprised immigration hardliners last week when his administration announced it would pause some immigration raids that were hurting the agriculture and hospitality industries.
Then just as quickly, Trump said Sunday that he would be targeting Democrat-run cities with a new wave of his immigration raids.
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Trump’s immigration policy has taken a significantly more hardline turn, intensifying efforts to restrict both legal and illegal immigration. A key element is mass deportation, with ICE aiming for 3,000 arrests per day, particularly targeting Democratic-led cities like New York, Los Angeles, and Chicago. These actions have strained agency resources, leading to a financial crisis within ICE.
Then on Monday, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials were told that agents should resume raids on hotels and restaurants, but also agricultural businesses, the Washington Post reported.
Trump announced Sunday that the administration would target large U.S. metropolitan areas, especially “sanctuary cities.” And his tone was much sharper than it had been on June 12.
“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,” Trump posted on Truth Social.
“If President Trump is actually in charge, he needs to prove it: Stop the sweeps on hardworking Californians. Get serious about building a path forward” to citizenship for unauthorized immigrant farmworkers, the United Farm Workers (UFW) said in an Instagram post.
While Trump’s enforcement tactics dominate headlines, his administration has also moved swiftly on the legislative front to cement key aspects of its immigration agenda.
Legislatively, the Laken Riley Act mandates detention of undocumented individuals charged with crimes and empowers states to sue the federal government over lax enforcement. Trump has also signed Executive Order 14160, challenging birthright citizenship by attempting to deny automatic citizenship to children of undocumented immigrants and certain visa holders. Another order, 14163, temporarily suspends the Refugee Admissions Program.
In terms of legal immigration, the administration plans to reduce or eliminate visa programs like H-1B and H-2A, restrict asylum, and implement ideological screening for immigrants. Wealthier applicants may soon be able to pay for expedited processing, reflecting a push toward merit-based and economically advantageous immigration.
READ: DOJ to crackdown hard on H-1B visa holders (February 26, 2025)
Institutional changes are also proposed, including dismantling the Department of Homeland Security and consolidating immigration functions under a new agency, possibly with private-sector involvement.
These policies have triggered legal battles and widespread public protests. While a segment of the population supports tougher border and deportation measures, other initiatives, such as ending birthright citizenship and refugee admissions, face legal and political pushback.