Zürcher Nachrichten - Trump escalates immigration crackdown to mark 100 days

Trump's spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the administration would name and shame cities accused of blocking efforts to protect "American communities from criminal aliens."

The Republican leader will sign an executive order later Monday directing officials to publish a list of "jurisdictions that obstruct the enforcement of federal immigration laws," she told reporters.

The announcement came with Trump celebrating major progress in honoring his election campaign promises to stem illegal border crossings from Mexico.

The figures soared to all-time highs under Trump's Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, and the Republican won the White House in part on promises to combat what he repeatedly claimed was an invasion of criminal migrants.

But Trump's popularity has since plunged in the polls, with more than 40 percent of Americans saying they "disapprove strongly" of him, according to a Washington Post-ABC survey.

On Monday he suggested pollsters and news organizations should be sued for fraud over the "fake news."

Trump will this week be hailing his achievements in his first 100-days, claiming successes on the economy, foreign policy and government efficiency as well as on migration.

Leavitt noted a 95 percent drop in encounters of undocumented migrants at the Mexico border -- from 140,000 to 7,000 -- in the 12 months from March 2024, when Biden was still in office.

"America's borders are now secure because of President Trump," she said. "He has restored the rule of law, enforced our immigration laws and defended America's sovereignty."

Trump's election campaign rhetoric about taking on the alleged hordes of rapists and murderers resonated with voters concerned about illegal immigration.

- Influx of migrants -

As part of the drive to deliver on his pledges, Republicans are targeting "sanctuary cities," which typically prohibit local officials from telling federal agents about undocumented immigrants if they are at risk of deportation.

The Democratic mayors of four major cities -- Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York -- were hauled over the coals in Congress in March over what Republicans called "pro-criminal" immigration policies.

All four cities have struggled to cope with a huge influx of migrants crossing from Mexico.

Trump has also sent troops to the Mexican border, imposed tariffs on Mexico and Canada for allegedly not doing enough to stop illegal crossings, and designated gangs like Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as terrorist groups.

But he has butted heads with judges, rights groups and Democrats who say he has ignored constitutional rights in rushing to deport migrants, sometimes without the right to a hearing.

Under Trump's use of the Alien Enemies Act -- previously seen only during war time -- migrants have been accused of gang membership and sent to El Salvador without going before a judge or being charged with a crime.

Trump has also repeatedly said he would be open to sending American citizens convicted of violent crimes to the notorious El Salvador prison, CECOT, outside San Salvador.

Tom Homon, Trump's point man on border security, told reporters Monday that "we have the most secure border in the history this nation."

Homon was asked about deportation rates, which have lagged behind Biden's numbers, despite Trump's promised campaign of the largest mass removal campaign in US history.

The government has not been releasing comprehensive data, but the Migration Policy Institute said it appeared on track to deport roughly half a million people this year -- fewer than the 685,000 deportations recorded in 2024 under Biden.

Homon argued that comparisons were bogus, since Biden's deportation numbers included people removed at the border, and most of those people were now being stopped before getting in.

J.Hasler--NZN