President Donald Trump on Sunday directed federal immigration officials to prioritize deportations from Democratic-run cities after large protests have erupted in Los Angeles and other major cities against the Trump administration’s immigration policies.

U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday said the United States must expand efforts to deport people who are illegally in the country, including in cities such as Los Angeles, which has seen protests in opposition to immigration raids.

The president claimed, without giving evidence, that the protesters were “paid” agitators, that the Los Angeles police asked for the National Guard, and that swaths of the city were under gang control.

They are trying to strike a careful balance on issues where Republicans have held a political advantage in recent years.