Trump Action Archive

Supporting reports

• Trump invokes Alien Enemies Act to render Venezuelan immigrants to El Salvador prison — Trump invoked the 1798 Alien Enemies Act to justify rendering undocumented Venezuelan immigrants to CECOT, a notorious terrorist prison in El Salvador. The act, designed for wartime use, was applied to justify extrajudicial deportation to a foreign detention facility without due process. This represents an extreme expansion of executive power using a historical statute to bypass normal immigration procedures and constitutional protections.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration announces ICE surge into Boston — The Trump administration announced a surge of Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents into Boston on September 8. The deployment follows threats to send federalized National Guard troops into Democratic-led cities. Unlike military deployment, ICE agents are part of regular law enforcement systems, but the operation was announced via social media without coordination with state officials, suggesting a political rather than crime-fighting purpose.
• Trump administration announces ICE surge into Chicago — On September 9, the Trump administration announced a surge of ICE agents into Chicago. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker stated the administration made no effort to coordinate with state officials and characterized the operation as laying groundwork to "circumvent our democracy, militarize our cities, and end elections" rather than combat crime. The announcement was made via social media as a "reality television show."

Supporting reports

• DHS announces "Operation Midway Blitz" targeting predominantly Latino neighborhoods in Chicago — The Department of Homeland Security announced enforcement operations in Chicago designated "Operation Midway Blitz," focusing on predominantly Latino neighborhoods surrounding Midway airport. The operation resulted in multiple arrests and was conducted without advance notice to Chicago's municipal government. This follows Trump's rhetoric attacking Chicago's sanctuary policies and his stated plan to deploy the National Guard to the city.
• Trump administration threatens ICE deployment and National Guard mobilization to Chicago — The Trump administration announced "Operation Midway Blitz," a targeted immigration enforcement action in Chicago, following threats to deploy federal law enforcement and National Guard troops to the city. Evanston officials warned residents of likely ICE activity after receiving information from the governor's office. The operation invokes a Nazi-era military term and targets immigrants in a sanctuary jurisdiction. Chicago's mayor stated the city received no notice and opposes militarized enforcement without due process, citing ICE's history of detaining and deporting U.S. citizens.
• DHS announced Operation Midway Blitz in Chicago — The Department of Homeland Security announced it launched "Operation Midway Blitz" in Chicago, stating it aims to "target the criminal illegal aliens who flocked to Chicago and Illinois because they knew Governor Pritzker and his sanctuary policies would protect them and allow them to roam free on American streets." Governor Pritzker responded that the operation "isn't about fighting crime," but "scaring Illinoisians."

Supporting reports

• Trump posts threat to Chicago referencing "Department of War" and deportations — Trump posted on Truth Social that Chicago was about to discover "why it's called the Department of War," referencing a recent executive order renaming the Department of Defense. The post also stated "I love the smell of deportations in the morning," alluding to the film Apocalypse Now. Governor Pritzker responded by stating the president was "threatening to go to war with an American city" and that "This is not a joke. This is not normal." The rhetoric escalates the administration's framing of immigration enforcement as military action against a domestic city.
• Trump posted AI-generated image threatening military action against Chicago — President Trump's social media account posted an AI-generated image depicting him as a Vietnam War character in front of Chicago's skyline with military helicopters and flames, captioned "Chipocalypse Now" with text reading "I love the smell of deportations in the morning… Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of WAR." The post included helicopter emojis associated with Chilean dictator Augusto Pinochet's extrajudicial killings. Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker responded by calling the threat abnormal and warning against intimidation.
• Trump shared "Chipocalypse Now" meme threatening deportations and war on Chicago — On Truth Social, Trump posted a meme depicting himself as an officer from "Apocalypse Now" with the caption "I love the smell of deportations in the morning" and "Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of War." Illinois Governor JB Pritzker responded by calling Trump a "wannabe dictator" and stating he is "threatening to go to war with an American city," characterizing the rhetoric as abnormal and dangerous.
• Trump posted apocalyptic threat against Chicago on Truth Social — Trump posted on Truth Social depicting himself as the character from Apocalypse Now with the caption "I love the smell of deportations in the morning. Chicago about to find out why it's called the Department of WAR." The post threatened military action against a major U.S. city. Chicago Mayor Brandon Johnson, Illinois Governor J.B. Pritzker, and California Governor Gavin Newsom responded by characterizing the threat as authoritarian and unconstitutional. Senator Tammy Duckworth called it a declaration of war on an American city.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration terminated Temporary Protected Status for 270,000 Venezuelans — The Trump administration terminated the Temporary Protected Status of nearly 270,000 immigrants from Venezuela who enrolled in a 2021 program under the Biden administration, and encouraged them to self-deport from the US or risk facing deportation proceedings.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration deploys federal immigration agents to Chicago amid Mexican Independence Day events — The Trump administration announced plans to deploy 230 federal immigration agents (primarily Customs and Border Protection) to Chicago as part of an intensified immigration enforcement effort. The deployment, combined with Trump's inflammatory rhetoric describing Chicago as "the most dangerous city in the world," prompted organizers to cancel or postpone multiple Mexican Independence Day celebrations, including El Grito Chicago (which drew 24,000 attendees in 2024). Governor JB Pritzker alleged the timing targeted Mexican community events. Thousands protested peacefully on Saturday against the deployment and broader administration policies.

Supporting reports

• Trump administration launches "Patriot 2.0" ICE operation targeting immigrants in Massachusetts — The Department of Homeland Security and ICE announced a new enforcement operation called "Patriot 2.0" in Massachusetts, expected to last several weeks. The operation targets immigrants released from custody despite ICE pickup attempts from local jails. DHS officials blamed Boston Mayor Michelle Wu's sanctuary policies, claiming they harbor criminals. The action follows Wu's March congressional testimony defending sanctuary city laws that limit local law enforcement cooperation with ICE.