Trump doubles down on US immigration raids, says ‘they haven’t gone far enough’

US president defends aggressive ICE efforts, claiming ‘liberal judges’ were holding back deportation efforts

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ICE agents and federal officers detain a migrant as he walks out from a hearing during targeted detainment at a US immigration court in New York City. Photo: Reuters

Published: 7:49am, 3 Nov 2025Updated: 4:25pm, 3 Nov 2025

Aggressive US immigration raids which have sparked protests and allegations of rights violations have not gone far enough, US President Donald Trump said in a CBS interview released on Sunday.

Trump was interviewed on Friday by CBS’ 60 Minutes show, his first meeting with the broadcaster since it agreed to a US$16 million settlement with him.

The Republican president had sued the Paramount-owned organisation over a 2024 pre-election interview with his Democratic opponent, former vice-president Kamala Harris.

Asked by interviewer Norah O’Donnell if raids conducted by his US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents have “gone too far”, the 79-year-old president replied: “I think they haven’t gone far enough.”

ICE agents detain a protester as other protesters try to stop them in Chicago. Photo: Chicago Sun-Times via AP

He claimed “liberal judges” appointed by Democratic presidents Barack Obama and Joe Biden had “held back” immigration operations, according to the interview extract posted on social media.

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