President Donald Trump just dropped a bombshell on national television, doubling down on ICE raids with a boldness that’s got everyone talking.

In a “60 Minutes” interview aired Sunday, Trump tackled concerns head-on about the aggressive immigration enforcement tactics under his administration, asserting they haven’t been tough enough while facing sharp criticism from Democrats and media outlets over the raids’ scope and fallout, the Daily Caller reported. 

During the interview, CBS host Norah O’Donnell pressed Trump on whether he was comfortable with the methods used in recent ICE operations across major U.S. cities.

Trump Stands Firm on Enforcement Tactics

Trump didn’t flinch, confirming his approval of the tactics and pivoting to blame judicial roadblocks for holding back even stronger action.

“No, 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,” Trump declared. Let’s unpack that—judicial overreach, in his view, is the real crime here, not the sweeps that have deported hundreds of thousands of unauthorized migrants.

Trump also painted a stark picture of those being removed, claiming many are serious offenders with criminal histories from their home countries.

Democrats Push Back with Legal Challenges

Democrats, predictably, aren’t buying it, launching a flurry of lawsuits against the administration to halt what they see as overzealous enforcement.

In one notable case, they rallied behind a Maryland man described as a “father,” despite Department of Justice records tying him to the notorious MS-13 gang. That’s a curious hill to die on—defending someone with alleged gang ties while decrying the very raids meant to protect communities.

The administration, meanwhile, has been fulfilling a key campaign pledge by ramping up these operations, resulting in mass deportations that have stirred both support and outrage.

Media Missteps Fuel DHS Frustrations

The Department of Homeland Security, led by Secretary Kristi Noem, fired back at media portrayals of specific incidents, particularly an NBC report involving ICE agents and a young autistic girl in Massachusetts.

NBC’s initial headline suggested agents detained the child to pressure her father, but video from Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra later showed agents near the girl while targeting her father, Edward Hip Mejia, who fled and left her behind. NBC issued a correction, admitting the story was mischaracterized, and updated the headline to clarify the focus was on apprehending Mejia.

Secretary Noem didn’t mince words, stating Mejia was a “criminal who had endangered children in the past, and then he abandoned her in the vehicle and ran off to protect his own freedom and abandoned his daughter behind.” That’s a gut punch—hard to argue with prioritizing a child’s safety over a parent’s reckless choices.

Threats Against ICE Agents Skyrocket

Adding fuel to the fire, DHS officials like Noem and border czar Tom Homan have called out Democratic rhetoric for inflaming tensions, pointing to a staggering 8,000% surge in doxxing and death threats against ICE agents and their families as reported on Thursday.

Just a day earlier, the Department of Justice charged ten individuals for violent acts against law enforcement during anti-ICE protests in California. It’s a stark reminder that while policy debates rage, the men and women enforcing these laws are increasingly in the crosshairs—hardly the “progressive compassion” often preached.

This controversy isn’t just about policy; it’s about the human cost on all sides, from families caught in raids to agents facing unprecedented hostility. Yet, as Trump holds the line, it’s clear this issue will remain a lightning rod, testing the limits of enforcement, empathy, and political will in a deeply divided nation.