Trump vows to ‘straighten out’ crime amid plans to expand immigration crackdown to five cities

WASHINGTON, DC: President Donald Trump said Wednesday, February 4, that his administration is considering expanding federal immigration enforcement operations into five more US cities, previewing a broader and growing footprint for federal agents across the country.

His remarks came amid heightened scrutiny following the fatal shootings of two American citizens by federal agents in Minneapolis last month leading to a partial drawdown of federal officers.

Trump signals expansion of federal enforcement operations

Speaking in an Oval Office interview with NBC News’ Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas, Trump was asked which cities could be next, and he replied, “We have five cities that we're looking at very strongly, but we want to be invited.” He added that the administration sometimes contacts governors before moving in.

When Llamas asked whether cities like Chicago or Philadelphia were under consideration, Trump responded that Chicago could be “straighten out.” He said crime in Chicago had already been brought down by 25% simply by federal presence and claimed the city could be made safe “just like DC is a safe city.”

Trump said he did not campaign on entering individual cities but emphasized that he had campaigned on "law and order." Pressed further about the five cities, Trump said they would be announced “very quickly” but declined to name them.

He also acknowledged reluctance to deploy federal agents in places where local officials resist, citing his experience in Minnesota. Trump also suggested he might need “a softer touch.”

Trump described the deceased by saying, “He was not an angel and she was not an angel,” while calling the deaths “very sad to me” and adding that Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents share those sentiments.

Trump administration draws down federal forces and expands detention plans

White House border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday that 700 federal law enforcement officers would be withdrawn from Minnesota “effective immediately.” After the partial withdrawal, about 2,000 federal agents will remain in the state, representing a roughly 25% reduction, with most concentrated in Minneapolis and St. Paul.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said in a statement to CNBC that “an unprecedented number of counties in Minnesota” have agreed to work with Homan to coordinate with ICE to transfer custody of criminal aliens upon their release.

Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, criticized the move, calling it “like a drop in the bucket to the people of Minneapolis.” Speaking on the Senate floor, Schumer said the drawdown was “not close to enough” and that federal agents “all have to leave now.”

At the same time, the Trump administration is planning to house thousands of detained immigrants in converted warehouses, privately run facilities, and county jails. Federal officials have been scouting cities and counties nationwide as part of a $45 billion expansion of detention facilities financed by Trump’s recent tax-cutting law.

In response, elected officials in Missouri, moved to pass an ordinance aimed at blocking a proposed ICE detention site. Mayors in Oklahoma City and Salt Lake City also announced that property owners would not sell or lease facilities for immigration detention.

Legislatures in several Democratic-led states have advanced measures to block or discourage ICE facilities. A New Mexico bill targets local government agreements to detain immigrants, while a California proposal would impose a 50% tax on companies operating ICE detention centers in the state.