Progressive Cities in Chaos: Proving Trump Right on Law & Order

History Repeats Itself in Liberal Cities

It’s happening again. In 2020, America watched as unrest over Black Lives Matter (BLM) protests engulfed major cities from coast to coast. Now in 2025, a new wave of turmoil – anti-ICE (Immigration and Customs Enforcement) demonstrations – is flaring up in many of these same Democrat-led cities. The pattern is unmistakable. The protests in 2020 spread to over 2,000 cities and towns across all 50 states (en.wikipedia.org), with many large urban centers seeing riots, looting, and clashes. Five years later, protests against ICE raids have erupted in 37 cities across 21 states, again heavily concentrated in Democrat-run strongholds like California, Oregon, New York, and Illinois (the-independent.com). The names are familiar: Los Angeles, New York City, Chicago, Portland, Seattle – cities with progressive leadership that faced convulsive BLM unrest in 2020 and now see crowds in the streets opposing immigration enforcement in 2025 (the-independent.com).

Protesters march against ICE deportations in New York City in 2025. These scenes of unrest are becoming commonplace in liberal-run cities. In Portland, for example, demonstrations continued for 100 consecutive nights in 2020 – marked by vandalism and violence (businessinsider.com) – and today Portland is again dealing with mass protests over federal immigration raids. Seattle made headlines in 2020 with an “autonomous zone” takeover and sustained protests, and it too is now listed among the cities protesting ICE actions. From Minneapolis and Kenosha to Chicago and New York, President Donald Trump warned that Democrat-run cities had become hotbeds of lawlessness during the 2020 riots (abcnews.go.com) – and indeed, many of the same locales are seeing chaos reignited today. In Los Angeles, an epicenter of the current unrest, hundreds have been arrested amid clashes and even looting, prompting deployment of the National Guard (the-independent.com). In one recent week, 565 arrests were tallied at protests nationwide, with National Guard activated in multiple cities (the-independent.com). It’s a sobering déjà vu: different grievance, same chaos in the streets, and overwhelmingly in cities governed by progressive Democrats.

Common Traits: Failing Schools and Welfare Dependency

Why do these particular cities keep experiencing upheaval? A look at their governance and social outcomes is telling. Alongside recurring unrest, many of these liberal-run cities struggle with education and poverty under decades of one-party progressive rule. Consider some facts about these Democrat-led urban centers:

• Poor Educational Performance: Public schools in these cities are often failing their students. In heavily Democratic Baltimore, for instance, 13 high schools recently had zero students proficient in math on the state exam (foxbaltimore.com). (Yes, zero – not one single student passed.) In Chicago, only about 20% of students are proficient in reading or math, and test scores have declined even as spending soared (illinoispolicy.org). These bleak outcomes are a hallmark of large urban districts run by progressive administrations. Years of liberal education policy – more bureaucracy, lax standards, powerful unions – have yielded tragically low achievement. (Oregon’s left-wing leaders even suspended basic proficiency requirements for high school graduation through 2028, rather than address falling performance (oregoncapitalchronicle.comoregoncapitalchronicle.com.)

• High Poverty and Welfare Dependence: Progressive cities also see high reliance on government assistance. New York City’s poverty rate is nearly double the national average, and as of 2024 about 20% of NYC residents – one in five – were on SNAP food stamp benefits (council.nyc.govcouncil.nyc.gov). In Chicago, which makes up 21% of Illinois’s population, residents comprise 31% of that state’s SNAP recipients (illinoispolicy.org) – a vastly disproportionate share, reflecting deep economic struggles. The social safety net is necessary for many families, but the persistent, high SNAP usage in these cities signals chronic poverty that liberal policies have failed to alleviate. Decades of “War on Poverty” programs and high taxes in places like Chicago, New York, Philadelphia, and Los Angeles have not solved their entrenched poverty or dependence. Instead, these cities sadly lead in metrics of economic stagnation even as they are led by self-proclaimed “progressive” governments.

• Sanctuary City Policies: Nearly all these restless cities proudly brand themselves “sanctuary cities.” From New York, Los Angeles, Chicago, Seattle, Portland and beyond, local leaders have enacted policies to limit cooperation with federal immigration enforcement (axios.com). They often prohibit police and officials from turning over illegal immigrants – even criminals – to ICE. This defiance of federal law is a point of pride for liberal mayors, but it has made their cities magnets for illegal immigration and put them directly at odds with President Trump’s administration. Just this year, Trump’s DHS put Seattle, Portland, New York, and Los Angeles on a list of over 500 jurisdictions that “obstruct” immigration enforcement (axios.comaxios.com). Sanctuary policies symbolize the broader progressive approach: a willingness to ignore laws they dislike. But the consequence is a boiling conflict between left-wing city halls and federal authorities – and yes, more protests. (It’s no coincidence that the 2025 unrest centers on ICE raids in sanctuary cities resisting those raids.)

In short, the pattern is clear. The cities rocked by both the 2020 riots and the 2025 ICE protests share: progressive governance, consistent unrest, struggling schools, high welfare usage, and sanctuary policies that flout the law. These are facts, not just stereotypes. And after years of these policies, residents are left with lower quality of life, while their leaders seem more interested in virtue-signaling than in fixing endemic issues.

Trump’s Stand: Law and Order, Strong Borders, No Sanctuaries

Throughout these turbulent years, Donald Trump has been a steadfast voice for restoring law and order. He doesn’t run these cities – local Democratic politicians do – but he has consistently offered a different vision: safety, security, and respect for the law. When America saw flames and violence in 2020, Trump spoke out forcefully: “In the strongest possible terms, the Republican Party condemns the rioting, looting, arson and violence we have seen in Democrat-run cities like Kenosha, Minneapolis, Portland, Chicago, and New York.” He warned that “There is violence and danger in the streets of many Democrat-run cities” and affirmed “We must always have law and order.” (abcnews.go.com) Unlike those on the left who made excuses for “peaceful protests” that turned destructive, Trump called it like it was and stood firmly with police and law-abiding citizens. He urged Democratic mayors and governors to accept help to stop the chaos. And when they wouldn’t, he was willing to act – deploying federal officers to protect a besieged courthouse in Portland in 2020 (businessinsider.com), and sending National Guard troops to quell unrest when local leaders hesitated (the-independent.com). His message has never wavered: Americans have the right to safety, and violent anarchy must never be normalized.

On the issue of border security and immigration, President Trump’s stance has been equally firm. He built hundreds of miles of border wall and ended Obama-era “catch-and-release,” making the U.S. border more secure than ever (abcnews.go.com). He also took a stand against the very sanctuary city policies that have defined these progressive enclaves. “We will BAN deadly Sanctuary Cities,” Trump vowed, emphasizing that our laws must apply in every city and state (abcnews.go.com). He fought to cut federal funding to cities that harbor illegal immigrants and refuse to cooperate with ICE (axios.com). In Trump’s view, no local politician should be allowed to undermine national law enforcement – and he’s backed that up with action. The current anti-ICE protests actually prove his point: had local leaders been working with ICE all along, raids wouldn’t be necessary. But because sanctuary cities chose to thwart federal law, we now see dramatic confrontation on their streets. President Trump has stood on the side of ICE agents doing their jobs, not the side of those throwing rocks at them. He has made it abundantly clear: lawlessness will not be tolerated, and America’s borders are not optional. As DHS Secretary Kristi Noem said of sanctuary city leaders defying ICE, “These sanctuary city politicians are endangering Americans and our law enforcement in order to protect violent criminal illegal aliens.” (axios.com) That ethos – protect Americans first – has been the core of Trump’s approach.

And let’s be honest: Trump has been right about these cities. He spent years cautioning that far-left policies would lead to crime, disorder, and decay. Tragically, we’re seeing exactly that. The top 10 most violent cities are run by Democrats, as Trump noted (abcnews.go.com). The footage of looting and burning buildings from 2020 and the footage this week of mobs trying to block ICE agents – those come almost entirely from blue cities with progressive mayors. When Trump says “enough is enough”, he’s speaking for the silent majority of Americans who are horrified at this recurring chaos.

A Time for Choosing – Law & Order or More Chaos

The contrast could not be clearer. On one side, we have progressive city leaders who preside over failing schools, high poverty, and recurring unrest – and who shrug off responsibility while their streets burn again and again. On the other, we have Donald Trump, who has stood firmly for law, order, and the safety of ordinary Americans since Day One. He doesn’t bend to the woke mobs or rioters; he confronts them. He doesn’t apologize for America’s laws; he enforces them. He doesn’t make excuses for criminals; he backs the victims and the police.

Now, in 2025, as we witness yet another round of urban chaos in Democrat-run cities, it’s time for Americans to take stock. How much more violence and instability are we willing to tolerate under left-wing governance? How many more children will be failed by broken school systems while mayors focus on “social justice” posturing instead of basics like reading and math? How many more innocent people will suffer as policing is restrained and mobs are indulged? The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different result. Well, we’ve seen what “progressive” leadership brings – over and over. It brings riots, outrage, division, and decline.

It’s time to chart a different course. President Trump has shown us what that looks like: law and order, accountability, and putting American citizens first. He was vilified by the media for his blunt truth-telling in 2020, but he has been vindicated by events. He said if we let radicals run our cities, we’d get anarchy – and he was right (abcnews.go.com). He said if we enforce the border and reject sanctuary nonsense, we’d be safer – and he was right (abcnews.go.com). Love him or hate him, Trump’s consistent stand offers hope of peace and stability versus the chaos we’re seeing now.

Enough is enough. Our great American cities do not have to be synonymous with unrest and failure. We can reclaim safety and sanity. But it will require rejecting the failed progressive governance that has led us here and supporting leaders who will uphold the law. It means standing with President Trump and those who share his commitment to safe streets, good schools, and a government that actually serves its people. No more excusing riots; no more pandering to lawbreakers; no more abandoning the American working class in favor of ideological crusades.

The choice is stark: Law and order, or more chaos and decline. President Trump has made his choice clear. Now, it’s up to us – the voters, the citizens, the patriots – to make ours. Let’s stand up for our communities and demand change. Share this message if you’re tired of seeing the same cities suffer the same fate and if you believe it’s time to put America First. Together, we can send a loud and clear signal that we’ve had enough of the unrest, the excuses, and the failures. It’s time to make our cities safe, successful, and free again – and with strong leadership, we will. ( abcnews.go.comabcnews.go.com)

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