As Donald Trump’s presidency reaches its 100th day on Tuesday, the White House has launched a weeklong campaign to showcase what it considers one of his strongest areas—immigration enforcement. On Monday, the administration spotlighted its aggressive border policies, with visuals including yard signs featuring mugshots of immigrants accused of violent crimes displayed across the White House lawn for media visibility.
Tom Homan, a top border advisor, emphasized what he called “unprecedented success” and said the administration would continue its push “full speed ahead.” Immigration continues to be Trump’s strongest issue in public opinion, and White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt said the administration is initiating what it calls the “largest deportation campaign in American history.”
So far, around 139,000 individuals have been deported, according to White House data. While the number has at times fallen short of figures under President Biden, Trump officials argue the situations aren’t comparable due to the current lower rate of border crossings.
Leavitt also held a second briefing exclusively for Trump-friendly online influencers, who posed supportive questions and applauded afterward—a sign of the administration’s continued embrace of alternative media platforms.
Trump plans to mark his 100th day with a rally in Michigan’s Macomb County, an area known for its auto industry and political importance. This will be one of his few trips outside Washington in recent months. Later in the week, he’s scheduled to deliver a commencement address at the University of Alabama.
In recognition of this milestone, Trump is participating in several media interviews. One, a sit-down in the Oval Office with a national television network, is expected to air Tuesday night. He also spoke with reporters from a publication he has frequently criticized. In that interview, Trump said he feels more powerful in his second term, boasting that this time he’s surrounded by loyal officials and is more aggressive in challenging judicial rulings that hinder his agenda.
“Last time, I had to both govern and survive,” he said. “Now, I govern the country—and the world.”
The tradition of evaluating a president’s first 100 days began with Franklin D. Roosevelt during the Great Depression. Trump downplayed the benchmark during his first term, calling it an “artificial barrier,” but now appears eager to use it to highlight his accomplishments. According to Leavitt, Trump has already signed nearly as many executive orders as Biden did during his full term.
Despite this, many Americans feel he’s focusing on the wrong issues. Recent polling shows that nearly twice as many people think Trump has prioritized the wrong things rather than the right ones. Even within his own party, only about half believe his focus has been appropriate. A significant portion of Republicans say his priorities are a mix of right and wrong, and around 10% believe he’s mostly focused on the wrong areas.
Among Trump supporters, his approval rating as at least a “good” president has dropped roughly 10 points since January. Other polls mirror this dissatisfaction, especially in regard to his economic policies and handling of tariffs.
In response to the polling, Trump dismissed the results on social media, labeling them as “FAKE POLLS FROM FAKE NEWS ORGANIZATIONS.”
As his administration doubles down on immigration enforcement, it has faced backlash for overreaching executive power. Trump has targeted judges who’ve opposed his measures, ignored court rulings—such as the one requiring the return of a mistakenly deported man—and transferred alleged Venezuelan gang members to a high-security prison in El Salvador despite legal objections.
While his mass deportation campaign hasn’t yet been fully executed, efforts are underway to encourage voluntary departures. These include increased fines and travel stipends for those willing to leave on their own. Officials point to a significant drop in illegal border crossings as evidence of early success.
On Monday, Trump also signed two executive orders tied to immigration. One directs officials at the state and federal levels to release a list of jurisdictions considered “sanctuary cities,” reinforcing his administration’s hardline stance.
