President Donald Trump directed federal officials to expand efforts to deport migrants in the largest US cities in the face of protests and court challenges, even as his administration is looking to ease the impact of the crackdown on key sectors of the US workforce.

President Donald Trump issued a new social media proclamation Sunday night directing federal officials to prioritize deportations from New York and other Democrat-run cities, a move that comes after large protests erupted across the country in response to his administration’s immigration enforcement policies.

Donald Trump ordered ICE officers to prioritize deportations in Democrat-run cities in a wild Truth Social rant Sunday night. The president issued the unprecedented, politically-motivated orders just hours after millions of protesters gathered in major American cities,