Across the United States, thousands are marching in protest. Streets are filled with signs that read “Families Belong Together,” “No ICE Raids,” and “We Are All Immigrants.” But while the chants rise and the crowds swell, Donald Trump remains unshaken.

“This is not just a policy — this is a promise,” he declared from the White House lawn earlier this week. And that promise has now evolved into the most aggressive deportation effort in modern American history.

Despite sweeping backlash, legal threats, and mass demonstrations from coast to coast, the Trump administration has doubled down on its pledge: to remove millions of undocumented immigrants from U.S. soil — fast.

ICE Unleashed: From 650 Arrests a Day to 3,000
Until now, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) carried out an average of 650 arrests per day. Under Trump’s new directive, that number is set to skyrocket — with internal documents showing plans to scale operations to 3,000 arrests per day.

According to senior DHS officials, ICE has been authorized to utilize its full force, including expanded surveillance, cross-agency cooperation, and unannounced late-night raids.

Trump praised ICE officers as “heroes under fire,” referencing growing threats and harassment faced by agents during protests and arrests.

“They’re being spit on, threatened, doxxed — and they still go to work. They are America’s frontline, and I’ve ordered them to use every tool they have,” he said.

Protests Erupt Nationwide
As news of expanded ICE operations spread, so did unrest. In over 40 cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago, New York, Austin, and Seattle, thousands have gathered in protest.

From peaceful candlelight vigils to fiery clashes with law enforcement, the message from demonstrators is clear: these raids, they say, are not about national security — they are about fear and control.

Civil rights groups have called the deportation plan a “state-sanctioned attack on vulnerable communities”, while immigrant families are living in fear, often sending their children to school with legal guardians or skipping work to avoid arrest.

Political Firestorm: Governors Say “No”
The governors of California, New York, and Illinois have declared they will not cooperate with federal ICE directives, instructing local law enforcement to refuse participation in raids.

California Governor Miguel Alvarado said:

“We are not foot soldiers in a political war. We will not allow our communities to be turned into hunting grounds.”

Trump responded swiftly, accusing the governors of “harboring criminals” and vowing to withhold federal funds from any state that obstructs ICE activity.

Who Is Being Targeted?
While the administration insists the focus is on undocumented immigrants with criminal records, leaked internal memos tell a broader story.

ICE is reportedly using new artificial intelligence systems to track undocumented individuals using phone records, social media data, utility bills, and facial recognition. Critics argue this has led to the arrest of people with minor infractions — or none at all.

Immigration lawyers report a dramatic uptick in detentions of individuals with no prior offenses:
— Long-term residents.
— Working parents.
— Students with expired visas.
— DACA recipients caught in legal limbo.

“It’s a dragnet, not a targeted operation,” said civil rights attorney Maya Gutierrez. “People are being taken based on algorithms — not court orders.”

A Divided Nation Watching Closely
For Trump, this initiative is more than a policy. It is a defining legacy point — one he believes will resonate deeply with his base ahead of the 2026 midterms.

And according to a recent poll, 62% of registered Republican voters support the mass deportations, compared to just 21% of Democrats and 38% of independents.

In Trump’s words:

“You can’t have a country without borders. You can’t have law if you don’t enforce it. This isn’t cruelty — this is sovereignty.”

But for millions of families — some of whom have lived in the U.S. for decades — this is not about sovereignty. It’s about survival.

What Happens Next?
Trump’s team has signaled that operations will intensify through the remainder of the year. ICE has requested additional funding, and there are discussions about establishing temporary detention zones at military bases to hold detainees before deportation.

The Department of Justice is already preparing for an onslaught of legal challenges, but the President has made one thing clear:
This plan will not be paused. It will not be softened. And it will not be negotiated.

One man’s mission to «restore order» is now America’s national reckoning.
Will history see it as justice — or as cruelty written into law?