Trump directs ICE to expand deportations in 'sanctuary cities' on the heels of 'No Kings' protests

DENVER (KDVR) — Denver was once again in President Donald Trump’s sights as he directed federal immigration officers to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities following large-scale protests across the U.S.

Trump, in a social media post, called on U.S Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials “to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History.”

The president said that ICE officers are harassed and threatened by “Radical Democrat Politicians,” and directed ICE agents to “detain and deport” undocumented immigrants in America’s largest cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and New York City. Denver has been included among the so-called “sanctuary cities,” with Mayor Mike Johnston appearing before the U.S. House Oversight Committee to defend the city’s immigration policies.

Last month, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security released a list of sanctuary jurisdictions across America, including several counties and cities in Colorado that federal officials alleged were defying immigration laws.

The list has since been removed, and many Colorado leaders of named jurisdictions raised concerns that they did not believe they were “sanctuary jurisdictions.” Weld and El Paso counties, both with high numbers of conservative residents, were among the jurisdictions named in the list.

At the same time, the Trump administration has directed immigration officers to pause arrests at farms, restaurants and hotels, after Trump expressed alarm about the impact aggressive enforcement is having on those industries, according to a U.S. official familiar with the matter who spoke to The Associated Press only on condition of anonymity.

“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 continued in his lengthy Sunday afternoon social media post. “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’s declaration comes after weeks of increased enforcement, and after Stephen Miller, White House deputy chief of staff and main architect of Trump’s immigration policies, said U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers would target at least 3,000 arrests a day, up from about 650 a day during the first five months of Trump’s second term.

The president directed ICE officers to focus on “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!”

Illinois is often considered part of the U.S. heartland. Chicago’s mayor has been called to testify before the House Oversight Committee, among other matters relating to being a “sanctuary city.”

FOX31 reached out to the Denver Mayor’s Office and the Colorado Governor’s Office on Sunday, June 15, for comment regarding the president’s directive. This story will be updated if/when such statements are received.