The mass protests in Los Angeles began as a rejection of President Donald Trump’s new blitz of immigration raids.

US Immigration and Customs Enforcement descended on locations throughout LA on Friday, including Home Depot and the city’s garment district. During the raids, immigration authorities reportedly arrested more than 200 people, though the Trump administration has not yet released official figures. Some of them have already been deported, according to the Washington Post.

But why did Trump order the raids in the first place?

This is not just a matter of routine immigration enforcement, but a significant escalation of his deportation tactics. For Trump, it means getting closer to his goal number of daily deportations after falling short during his first few months in office. For undocumented immigrants, it means more fear in their communities, driving them further into the shadows and leaving them further vulnerable to labor exploitation.

Any benefit to Americans is unclear, especially given how much the US economy relies on undocumented labor, including in industries such as construction and agriculture.

“This approach certainly doesn’t make us any safer,” said Debu Gandhi, senior director of immigration policy at the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning think tank. “It is focused on large numbers of people, including lots of folks who are working and don’t have a criminal record, as opposed to targeted enforcement, focusing on those who actually pose a public safety threat to the American people.”

Undocumented workers will bear the immediate cost, while Trump, who has himself

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