WASHINGTON: The White House announced on Monday a crackdown on `sanctuary cities` that defy Donald Trump`s hardline immigration policies, as the president closes in on his first 100 days in office.

Trump`s spokeswoman Karoline Leavitt said the administration would name and shame cities accused of blocking efforts to protect `American communities from criminal aliens.` The announcement came with Trump celebrating major progress in honouring his election campaign promises to stem illegal border crossings from Mexico. The figures soared to all-time highs under Trump`s Democratic predecessor, Joe Biden, and the Republican won the White House in part on promises tocombat what he repeatedly claimed was an invasion of criminal migrants.

But Trump`s popularity has since plunged in the polls, with more than 40 per cent of Americans saying they `disapprove strongly` of him, according to a Washington Post-ABC survey.

On Monday he suggested pollsters and news organisations should be sued for fraud over the `fake news.` Trump will this week be hailing his achievements in his first 100days, claiming successes on the economy, foreign policy and government efficiency as well as on migration.

Leavitt noted a 95pc drop in encounters of undocumented migrants at the Mexico border from 140,000 to 7,000 in the 12 months from March 2024, when Biden was still in office.

`America`s borders are now secure because of President Trump,` she said. `He has restored the rule of law,enforced our immigration laws and defended America`s sovereignty.` Trump`s election campaign rhetoric about taking on the alleged hordes of rapists and murderers resonated with voters concerned about illegal immigration.

Club raid Amid Trump`s immigration crackdown, US authorities said on Sunday they arrested more than 100 undocumented migrants in a raid on a nightclub in Colorado.

The Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) `apprehended over 100 illegal aliens at an underground night club frequented by Tda and MS-13 terrorists,` Attorney General Pam Bondi wrote on X. Trump has designated South American gangs Tren de Aragua and MS-13 as terroristgroups,senttroopsto the Mexican border and called for mass expulsions of undocumented migrants as part of his iron fist approachto immigration.

The Republican leader has in the process butted heads with federal judges, rights groups and Democrats who sayhe has trampled or ignored constitutional rights in rushing to deport migrants, sometimes without the right to a hearing.Footage posted on X by the DEA showed armed officers breaking a window and shouting at clubgoers to raise their hands as they run out of the building onto what appears to be a strip mall parking lot. The DEA said that `more than 100 illegal aliens` were taken into custody at the `underground nightclub` in Colorado Springs. `Drugs and weapons have also been seized,` the agency posted on X.

DEA Special Agent Jonathan Pullen told local TV stations that the raid uncovered various US military members at the club, `either as patrons or working as armed security.` Trump on Sunday praised the operation on his Truth Social platform for targeting `some of the worst people illegally in our Country Drug Dealers, Murderers, and other Violent Criminals, of all shapes and sizes.` He hit out at judges whohave blocked migrant deportations, saying they would make the United States a `Crime ridden MESS.` Rights groups said last week that authorities had deported three American children one of whom has a rare form of cancer alongside their undocumented immigrant mothers.

As part of the drive to deliver on his pledges, Republicans are targeting `sanctuary cities,` which typically prohibit local officials from telling federal agents about undocumented immigrants if they are at risk of deportation.

The Democratic mayors of four major cities Boston, Chicago, Denver and New York were hauled over the coals in Congress in March over what Republicans called `pro-criminal` immigration policies.

All four cities have struggled to cope with a huge influx of migrants crossing from Mexico.-AFP