USA Today: Trump is on a collision course with millions of Americans. He’s not backing down.

The White House is doubling down on President Donald Trump’s signature campaign promise and escalating efforts to deport undocumented immigrants, targeting Democrat-run cities and heightening tensions with powerful liberal governors from California to New York.

The pressure-cooker campaign comes after the massive “No Kings” protests on June 14 that drew millions of Americans out to the streets to oppose Trump’s administration, which has made immigration enforcement a top priority. The protests included about 5 million people nationally, according to organizers, and many attendees specifically cited concerns about immigration enforcement.

A week before, fierce protests in Los Angeles sparked by aggressive detentions by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents led to clashes, tear gassing, scattered looting and multiple vehicles being set on fire. The vast majority of attendees were peaceful, however.

To quell the protests and protect ICE agents in California, Trump called up thousands of National Guard troops over the objections of Gov. Gavin Newsom − referred to by Trump as “Newscum” − and has told federal agents they have his unconditional support to continue aggressive enforcement.

Trump has also invoked military powers usually reserved for wartime, declaring that Biden-era immigration policies facilitated an invasion. And the president is pushing to dramatically expand detention centers and deportation flights while finishing the U.S.-Mexico border wall.

While border crossings have dropped dramatically, videos of masked federal agents chasing people across fields or grabbing them off city streets have horrified many Americans, and liberal leaders across the country say construction sites, farms and some entire neighborhoods are falling silent as undocumented workers stay home to avoid detention.

Some critics accused Trump of causing chaos with ICE raids, then using the community response to justify even harsher measures.

On June 19, federal immigration agents were briefly blocked at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles by protesters trying to stop detentions.

Trump remains undeterred and is pushing Congress to pass a funding measure that would allow him to hire 10,000 new ICE agents, 5,000 more customs officers, and 3,000 additional Border Patrol agents.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2025/06/21/trump-immigration-enforcement-no-kings/84245929007

Sun Herald: Trump’s ‘Trash Heap’ Remark Sparks Backlash

President Donald Trump ordered U.S. Marines and National Guard troops to Los Angeles during immigration protests, labeling the city a “trash heap.” He claimed the military is needed to prevent violence. Critics have voiced concern over projected deployment costs of approximately $134 million.

Critics, like Tad Weber of The Fresno Bee, criticized Trump’s characterization of the city. Reflecting on a visit, Weber writes, “Far from a ‘trash heap,’ Los Angeles was as vibrant and busy as ever.” Weber added, “By characterizing Los Angeles as a “trash heap,” Trump violated Rule No. 1 for the president: Be America’s cheerleader. The president should extol, not denigrate, our nation’s cities.”

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/trump-s-trash-heap-remark-sparks-backlash/ss-AA1HcXve

Associated Press: Vance blames California Dems for violent immigration protests and calls Sen. Alex Padilla ‘Jose’

Vice President JD Vance on Friday accused California Gov. Gavin Newsom and Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass of encouraging violent immigration protests as he used his appearance in Los Angeles to rebut criticism from state and local officials that the Trump administration fueled the unrest by sending in federal officers.

Sending in masked thugs to rough people up and kidnap Hispanics off the streets and sidewalks is exactly what the problem is. If JD Dunce is too much of an idiot to understand that, c’est la vie. We can’t fix stupid! And the demonstrations will continue until ICE either cleans up their act or is put back in their kennels.

Vance also referred to U.S. Sen. Alex Padilla, the state’s first Latino senator, as “Jose Padilla,” a week after the Democrat was forcibly taken to the ground by officers and handcuffed after speaking out during a Los Angeles news conference by Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem on immigration raids.

JD Dunce is a pathetic racist pig. He served in the Senate with Sen. Padilla and knows full well what his actual name is.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/us/vance-blames-california-dems-for-violent-immigration-protests-and-calls-sen-alex-padilla-jose/ar-AA1H7TGD

Sun Herald: Defiant Mayor’s Call to Resist ICE Raids Sparks Outrage

Chicago officials reportedly expected a rise in workplace immigration raids as federal tactical teams prepared to deploy across several Democratic-led cities. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson urged residents to push back against the enforcement efforts linked to President Trump. Johnson encouraged peaceful protest and affirmed that police and city staff would protect First Amendment rights. Johnson’s call for “all of Chicago to resist in this moment” has drawn sharp criticism on social media.

Awesome response! Resist! And keep up the good work!

Critics argue that Johnson’s rhetoric incites violence against federal officers.

The pigs have only themselves to blame. They’ll get no tears or sympathy from me.

Johnson said, “I am counting on all of Chicago to resist in this moment. Because whatever particular vulnerable group is targeted today, another group will be next.”

Meanwhile, back at the ranch:

Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul condemned federal actions as unlawful and undemocratic, stressing the importance of working with local leaders to protect community safety.

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/politics/defiant-mayor-s-call-to-resist-ice-raids-sparks-outrage/ss-AA1H7qHk

Slate: Trump Promises to Keep Terrorizing Blue Cities. It Might Come Back to Haunt Him.

Donald Trump won the presidency in part on promises to deport immigrants who have criminal records and lack permanent legal status. But his earliest executive orders—trying to undo birthright citizenship, suspending critical refugee programs—made clear he wants to attack immigrants with permanent legal status too. In our series Who Gets to Be American This Week?, we’ll track the Trump administration’s attempts to exclude an ever-growing number of people from the American experiment.

President Donald Trump’s immigration raids have disrupted life in Los Angeles in a way the mayor is comparing to COVID; they’ve created a climate of fear that’s driving people into hiding and hurting local businesses. This week, the president promised to expand those raids in blue cities, all in a futile attempt to hit 1 million deportations by the end of the year. After suggesting last week that ICE would stop targeting the agriculture and hotel industries, which disproportionately rely on immigrant labor, the administration also walked back that guidance.

And a troubling trend is emerging: As Trump’s immigration enforcement efforts get more aggressive and reckless, several elected officials who attempted to conduct oversight or question what is being done have been arrested.

“Overwhelmingly, Americans do not want ICE raids that focus on those without criminal records. That’s why polls show that Trump is losing voter approval on these key issues,” Mukherjee said.

https://slate.com/news-and-politics/2025/06/donald-trump-brad-lander-ice-raid-los-angeles.html

Style on Main: Home Depot Preps Staff as ICE Targets Over 30,500 Employees Nationwide

Recent Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) raids have targeted day laborers who congregate around Home Depot stores across the United States, disrupting a longstanding informal labor market. These raids are part of an intensified immigration enforcement campaign under the Trump administration, which aims to increase deportations beyond violent criminals to undocumented workers broadly.

Home Depot stores have become unique hubs where day laborers and contractors meet despite the company’s official policy against solicitation on its property. This informal system has provided mutual benefits for decades, but the recent ICE actions have created operational challenges and fear among workers and communities. Home Depot is now preparing its employees for potential encounters with ICE agents, emphasizing safety and reporting protocols as the raids unfolded nationwide.

The ICE raids have instilled fear among immigrant workers, many of whom now avoid Home Depot parking lots. This has led to significant drops in day laborer presence and disruptions to local labor markets. Workers staying home out of fear affects business operations and local economies dependent on their labor.

Community backlash has included protests and public outcry following arrests near Home Depot locations, particularly in Latino communities. These enforcement actions have strained relations between immigrant communities, local businesses, and law enforcement, amplifying tensions and uncertainty.

Faux News: California police plead for help amid officer shortage as union boss warns of unprecedented riot ‘onslaught’

Trump’s National Guard deployment protects federal property while local officers face injuries from violent demonstrators

As the protests against Los Angeles’ immigration raids spread, state law enforcement leaders are sounding the alarm on the dangers facing officers on the front lines of the riots.  

“I’ve been around a very long time, and I have seen similar to what we’re facing now,” Jake Johnson, president of the California Association of Highway Patrolmen (CAHP), told Fox News Digital. “But I’ve never seen the amount of onslaught.”

Thousands of protesters descended on Los Angeles in the last two weeks after U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers began conducting raids throughout the sanctuary city. The violence included rioters hurling projectiles at law enforcement officers and lighting numerous self-driving electric vehicles on fire.

Get rid of the wannabe dictator — King Donald — and purge Washington of his sycophants, and things will get a lot better very quickly. One must address the real problems, not the symptoms.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/california-police-plead-help-amid-officer-shortage-union-boss-warns-unprecedented-riot-onslaught

Style on Main: LA Fashion Industry Loses $7.23B In One Week Over ICE Raids

On June 6, 2025, the LA Fashion District, a fabric of 4,000 businesses and over 15,000 workers, was left reeling from a sweeping ICE raid at Ambiance Apparel, taking some 40 workers into custody and sparking protests citywide. 

The response was quick and sharp: stores shuttered, pedestrian traffic froze, and an area teeming with activity just hours before turned into a ghost town. 

It was more than news of another bankruptcy; it was a trauma to Los Angeles’s social and economic core, exposing vulnerabilities that few had been willing to acknowledge. How deep does the damage run?

The LA fashion industry generates an estimated $72.3 billion annually, with the Fashion District accounting for about 20%, or about $14.5 billion annually. 

The news is families torn apart and neighborhoods living in fear, behind the news. While the workers who were

Notes: Sales plummeted by half in the weeks after the ICE raids, leading to a theoretical $7.23 billion loss in business, if we calculate the same loss rate weekly for an entire year.

Raw Story: ‘Is he confused?’ Gavin Newsom schools Trump on what his troops actually do

President Donald Trump complained Wednesday that California can’t be trusted with forest fire management — and then Gov. Gavin Newsom (D-CA) reminded him that the people in charge of that were called away on Trump’s orders.

Trump made the comments in response to questions about whether the standoff between himself and Newsom over mass deportations could affect federal wildfire relief for the state.

“Sure, maybe,” said Trump. “The man’s incompetent. You clean the floor of your forest, and you won’t have any forest fires.”

“Clean the floor of the forest”? LOL! Should he wash the forest windows, too?

The president has made similar comments many times, at one point during his first term drawing widespread mockery and a rebuke from the Finnish government for claiming California needs to “rake” its forests to stop fires, like they supposedly do in Finland.

“You pulled National Guard from my command — who were literally doing this work — to stand around in front of a building in LA,” wrote Newsom. “Does the President of the United States not understand what his troops do? Is he confused again? Deeply disturbing.”

https://www.rawstory.com/trump-newsom-2672396890

Axios: Senate Democrats press Hegseth on domestic military deployment plan

Senate Democrats on Wednesday demanded the Trump administration to share its plans to deploy active duty military in cities across the U.S.

President Trump’s decision to send active duty Marines and National Guard to Los Angeles following pro-immigrants’ rights protests sparked more demonstrations nationwide.

  • Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem sparked additional backlash after she said the goal is to “liberate” Los Angeles from its elected Democratic leaders during a press conference where Sen. Alex Padilla was forcibly removed.
  • Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth suggested that the Trump administration would not respect district court orders to disband troops, but that it would abide by a Supreme Court ruling.

“I have been deeply disturbed and alarmed by the use of active-duty troops, Marines in Los Angeles,” Sen. Richard Blumenthal (D-Conn.) said.

  • “And President Trump has made clear his intentions to continue to use the military to suppress dissent and likely inflame tensions there and elsewhere all under the guise of enforcing the law. What he’s doing may well be illegal.”
  • Hegseth pushed back on the claim that the deployments have been illegal, but he did not confirm whether contingency plans were in place for using military in other cities.

“I take it from your answer that you do have contingency plans for the use of military in other cities,” Blumenthal said.

Hegseth did not address Blumenthal’s request.

Hegseth is a slimy, slippery snake who will never give an honest answer to a direct question.

https://www.axios.com/2025/06/18/hegseth-senate-testimony-blumenthal-military-domestic-protests