GOP lawmakers are lining up to support President Donald Trump’s declaration of war against Democratic-controlled cities, after he ordered Immigrations and Customs Enforcement officers to specifically target undocumented immigrants in Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York by spreading the insane and false conspiracy theory that Democrats use undocumented immigrants in those cities to hold on to political power.
A National Guard convoy rolls down a street on June 10 in Los Angeles.
"We must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside. 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," Trump wrote in a disturbing Truth Social post on Sunday night.
Of course, undocumented immigrants cannot vote, so Trump’s claim is a bald-faced lie. Undocumented immigrants are also not taking jobs from American citizens, as Americans do not want to work the low-wage, back-breaking jobs immigrants are filling in meatpacking plants, restaurant kitchens, and farm fields.
But Republican lawmakers eagerly reposted Trump’s Truth Social post and expressed support for his stated goal—even though the post contained incendiary rhetoric against Democrats after a Trump-supporting right-wing terrorist shot and killed a Minnesota Democratic state lawmaker and her husband in a politically motivated assassination, and seriously injured another lawmaker and his wife.
"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! There is something wrong with them," Trump wrote.
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Despite that horrible language, as well as the lies about why Trump will target migrants in Democratic-controlled cities, House Speaker Mike Johnson reposted Trump’s entire Truth Social post on Monday, saying he is on board with Trump’s goal.
In fact, Johnson used the post to advocate for the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act”—which rips health care and food aid from millions in order to fund tax cuts and Trump’s cruel deportation agenda. Johnson said that the “Big Beautiful Bill” would "give the administration the resources it needs to keep the border secure and continue removing illegal aliens out of our country."
Sen. Marsha Blackburn of Tennessee also reposted Trump’s inflammatory statement.
“We can and we must expand the operations to carry out the largest mass deportation effort in American history,” she wrote in a post on X. “Thank you, President Trump.”
Sen. Tom Cotton also jumped in to cheer for Trump’s fascist tactics.
“I commend President Trump for protecting American citizens by empowering ICE officers to do their jobs and deport illegal aliens,” he wrote in a post on X. “Another promise kept. And every American will better off for it.”
Trump’s move to order raids in Democratic-controlled cities comes after he also ordered ICE to stop raiding restaurants and farms after farmers said that the raids threatened their businesses.
In fact, the ongoing raids have been so prolific that the agency is apparently running out of money, with Axios reporting that ICE’s funds could dry up as early as next month.
And that’s unpopular with voters—many of whom have taken to the streets to protest ICE’s incursions on their communities.
A YouGov poll found 50% of Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of deportations, while 61% of Americans think Trump shouldn’t be deporting undocumented immigrants who have lived in the U.S. and have not committed crimes.
Democrats—who have been calling Trump out for his ICE raids and use of the military to crack down on any opposition to them—are now slamming Trump for explicitly targeting Democratic-run cities.
“Trump's ICE raids are politically targeted attacks on diverse, Democratic cities,” Rep. Delia Ramirez of Illinois wrote in a post on X. “Trust, today they are scapegoating immigrants to justify their abuses of power. Tomorrow, they will come for all those who dare to dissent.”
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