Federal troops have been deployed in California in the US to intervene in protests around deportations being undertaken by ICE officers in the state.

A memo from President Donald Trump states that demonstrators impeded “the execution of laws which constitutes a form of rebellion against the authority of the government of the United States”.

Therefore, the California National Guard has been placed under federal rather than state control.

Protestors face off with California Highway Patrol officers during a protest against ICE and immigration raids in Paramount, California. June 7, 2025. Photo by Jim Ruymen Credit: UPI/Alamy Live News

This has all raised huge concerns for Irish illegal aliens across the US, as it is further evidence of the crackdown on immigration in the country.

US immigration attorney John Foley represents a number of people who are being targeted by ICE, including a man from Donegal facing deportation.

“They just announced the other day, the Secretary of Homeland Security announced there’s going to be a review of immigration records and a crackdown on visa overstays,” he told The Anton Savage Show.

“So, that would include the Irish.

“When the majority of Irish people come here, they come on what they call the ESTA form, an electronic system for travel authorisation.

“They answer a few questions, pay $21, but they don’t need to go to the consulate in Dublin or Belfast to get a visa.”

Mr Foley said the consequences for overstaying this visa can lead to a person being banned from the US for 10-years.

The terms of the visa also mean that a person is not entitled to go before a judge and plead their case if they are to be deported.

'No communication' on immigration rules

Mr Foley acknowledged that those who overstay their visas are typically aware that they are doing so illegally.

However, he said the consequences they face for doing so have increased exponentially under the Trump administration.

“In the past, when I had a [client facing deportation], I could go to the ICE office, meet with the supervisor and propose a number of solutions," he said.

“Usually, we could work something out that was reasonable.

“Now, when I go to ICE, they don’t answer the phone, they don’t respond to emails - there’s no communication.”

According to Mr Foley, from having met ICE supervisors one-on-one in person, he has been told they are no longer allowed to work out deals with people like his clients.

Main image: Protestors face off with Los Angeles County Sheriff deputies during a protest against ICE and immigration raids. June 7, 2025. Photo by Jim Ruymen Credit: UPI/Alamy Live News