INTERNATIONAL
Trump pushes for 'largest' mass deportation drive despite protests

National Guard members stand guard outside the Edward R. Roybal Federal Building , during a protest against federal immigration sweeps, in Los Angeles, California, US. - REUTERS/David Ryder/Filepic
WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump has escalated his tough stance on immigration, demanding a sweeping expansion of arrests and deportations by federal agents with the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), German Press Agency (dpa) reported.
AI Brief
- Trump called for the "largest mass deportation" effort, targeting undocumented immigrants in Democrat-led cities.
- The move triggered nationwide protests and resistance from Democratic leaders like California's governor.
- Facing pressure from farmers and hotel owners, Trump signaled possible exemptions for those sectors.
Trump specifically targeted Democrat-led cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York, urging the federal agents to step up enforcement efforts.
The president's hardline approach has sparked widespread protests across several US cities.
Demonstrations in the US intensified recently after Trump deployed National Guard troops and marines to Los Angeles, a move strongly opposed by California Governor Gavin Newsom, a prominent Democrat and potential 2028 presidential contender.
Mass deportations were a central promise during Trump's election campaign, and since taking office, his administration has staged raids accompanied by press releases, photographs and regular updates on deportations to showcase their efforts.
An estimated 11 million people currently live in the US without valid papers. Many work in sectors vital to the economy, such as agriculture, construction and hospitality.
Against this backdrop, Trump has recently made a notable adjustment.
On Thursday, he suggested he wanted to exempt the agriculture and hotel industries from the immigration crackdown.
"Our great Farmers and people in the Hotel and Leisure business have been stating that our very aggressive policy on immigration is taking very good, long-time workers away from them, with those jobs being almost impossible to replace," Trump wrote on Truth Social.
The New York Times reported, citing government officials, that the change came after Agriculture Secretary Brooke Rollins called Trump and told him of growing concern among farm owners.
-- BERNAMA
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