Trump defends harsh immigration raids, hints at using US military

"I think they haven't gone far enough," said Trump, defending federal raids on immigrants while threatening to invoke the Insurrection Act to deploy troops in US cities

US President Donald Trump said immigration raids “haven’t gone far enough” even as videos circulated online showing confrontations between federal agents, immigrants and protesters.

 

“I think they haven’t gone far enough because we’ve been held back by the judges, by the liberal judges that were put in by Biden and by Obama,” said Trump in an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes. He was responding to questions about videos showing officers throwing people to the ground, smashing car windows and firing tear gas in residential areas.

 

The president said the tactics were justified “because you have to get the people out,” adding that many of those detained had criminal records.

 

 

What did Trump say about using the military?

 

Trump also said he could use the Insurrection Act to deploy professional military forces in US cities “if I wanted to.”

 

“If you had to send in the Army or you had to send in the Marines I’d do that in a heartbeat,” he said. “And no judge could challenge that.”

 

The Insurrection Act allows a president to send in active-duty troops when local forces are overwhelmed. It was last used in 1992 by President George H. W. Bush during the Los Angeles riots. State and local officials, however, have said the current protests against Trump’s immigration raids are under control.

 

How has deportation enforcement expanded?

 

Trump’s comments follow the expansion of a federal programme that deputises local police to enforce immigration laws. Nearly 16,000 officers across 40 states have joined the initiative, according to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

 

While the programme has led to a surge in arrests, particularly in Florida, some local agencies remain hesitant to participate due to concerns about racial profiling, wrongful detentions and political pressure.

 

How many deportations have taken place under Trump?

 

DHS recently reported that over 527,000 people had been deported under Trump and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.

 

Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said, “More than 2 million illegal aliens have left the US including 1.6 million who have voluntarily self-deported and over 527,000 deportations. This is just the beginning.”

 

She added that the administration had “jumpstarted an agency that was hamstrung and barred from doing its job for the last four years.”

 

India’s foreign ministry confirmed that 2,417 Indians were deported from the US between January and September 2025.

 

How has DHS defended its agents’ actions?

 

“Rioters and sanctuary politicians have not deterred ICE or CBP in their mission to protect the homeland from those who have no right to be in America,” the DHS said in a statement.

 

The department added that despite legal challenges and protests, the administration would continue large-scale operations to remove undocumented migrants and prevent new arrivals.