In June 2025, a fiery sentiment among President Donald Trump’s supporters—“If you’re illegal, leave America; if you’re rioting to keep them, leave too”—has crystallized amid escalating immigration enforcement and protests. Sparked by scenes of unrest in Los Angeles and New York, where demonstrators clashed with ICE agents over mass deportations, this call reflects the intensity of Trump’s base as his second term drives policies like 142,000 deportations and a record 2,200 arrests in a single day. The rhetoric underscores a polarized debate over sovereignty, protest rights, and the limits of dissent in a fractured nation.
The sentiment aligns with Trump’s aggressive “America First” agenda, which includes the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility Act, Wyoming’s proof-of-citizenship voting law, and calls to defund sanctuary cities. Supporters, with 90% of 2016 Trump voters approving his performance per a 2025 Gallup poll, view illegal immigration as a threat to security and jobs, citing 2.5 million border apprehensions in 2023 under Biden. Protests, like those in Los Angeles where Mexican flags were waved and 70-80 migrants detained, or the New York courtroom clash where ICE agents were allegedly assaulted, are seen as justifying mass removals. A 2024 Pew survey shows 62% of Americans favor stricter enforcement, bolstering demands to expel both undocumented immigrants and their defenders.
Critics argue the rhetoric violates constitutional protections and dehumanizes millions. The Supreme Court’s 1989 Texas v. Johnson ruling safeguards protest as free speech, and the ACLU, citing 35 wrongful detentions in 2025, warns against punishing dissent. Undocumented immigrants contribute $79.7 billion annually, per a 2024 Center for American Progress study, and deporting all 11 million would cost $315 billion, per a 2024 American Immigration Council estimate. Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass called raids “terrorizing,” with 55% of Americans in a 2025 Pew poll viewing Trump’s policies as excessive. Protesters, often U.S. citizens, argue they’re defending communities, not inciting riots.
The call to expel protesters evokes historical parallels. Weak history education—only 13% of eighth graders proficient per a 2023 NAEP report—obscures lessons from 1954’s Operation Wetback or 1960s crackdowns on civil rights protests. Trump’s 2020 call to shoot protesters, refused by Mark Esper, and 2025 actions like deploying 2,000 National Guard troops to Los Angeles amplify authoritarianism fears. Incidents like the Indiana teacher’s “8647” shirt and treason charges against Biden aides highlight the charged climate.
Economic and legal hurdles loom. Tariffs, raising household costs by $1,300 annually per a 2025 Brookings study, strain public support, while lawsuits against protester arrests and visa revocations for suspected Hamas sympathizers challenge enforcement. As the 2026 midterms approach, the demand to expel both immigrants and protesters galvanizes Trump’s base but risks alienating moderates, with 19% of 2020 Trump voters undecided, per a 2025 CNN poll. The rhetoric—leave or be removed—tests America’s balance between order and liberty, deepening a divide with no clear resolution.
