WASHINGTON

US President Donald Trump said Sunday that he has directed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to escalate its immigration raids in Democratic-controlled metropolises as major demonstrations against his deportation push have continued to simmer.

Trump said in a social media post that he has directed ICE agents "to do all in their power to achieve the very important goal of delivering the single largest Mass Deportation Program in History."

"In order to achieve this, we must expand efforts to detain and deport Illegal Aliens in America’s largest Cities, such as Los Angeles, Chicago, and New York, where Millions upon Millions of Illegal Aliens reside. These, and other such Cities, are the core of the Democrat Power Center," he said.

"I want ICE, Border Patrol, and our Great and Patriotic Law Enforcement Officers, to FOCUS on our crime ridden and deadly Inner Cities, and those places where Sanctuary Cities play such a big role. You don’t hear about Sanctuary Cities in our Heartland!" he added.

Trump's deportation push has already led to mass demonstrations that have erupted in the cities he mentioned, as well as major population centers far beyond, including in some deeply Republican states like Texas. Over the weekend, millions of demonstrators attended roughly 2,000 "No Kings" protests across the country, with many incensed by the president's immigration crackdown.

The demonstrations were largely peaceful, but reports indicated that one protester was fatally shot in Utah and another person was arrested after driving his car into a dispersing crowd in Culpeper, Virginia, striking a demonstrator.

Police identified the suspect as Joseph R. Checklick Jr, 21, of Culpeper.