White House Accelerates Deportations & A Shocking Jobs Report | 7.3.26

Summary

Morning Wire Podcast Summary

Episode: White House Accelerates Deportations & A Shocking Jobs Report | 7.3.26
Date: July 3, 2026
Hosts: Georgia Howe (John Bickley out)
Guests: EJ Antoni (Heritage Foundation), Jenny Terre (Immigration Reporter), Ben Domenech (Daily Wire Opinion Editor)

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Overview

This episode of Morning Wire covers three major stories:

1. A significantly weaker-than-expected June jobs report and its implications for the U.S. economy
2. The White House’s aggressive new deportation and arrest quotas for ICE, signaling a renewed focus on immigration enforcement
3. President Trump’s announcement of an unprecedented GOP midterm convention amid a Republican fundraising advantage and Democratic financial woes

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1. June Jobs Report Disappoints

Key Segment: [01:00]–[07:38]
Featured Expert: EJ Antoni, Chief Economist, Heritage Foundation

Key Discussion Points

• Disappointing Numbers:

  • Only 57,000 jobs were added in June—about half the 115,000 expected ([01:09], Jenny Terre).
  • Revisions for the previous two months wiped out more jobs than were added: “It’s a net reduction in the number of jobs in the overall economy.” ([03:10], EJ Antoni)
  • Household survey data showed over 500,000 fewer people employed in the country last month.

• Sector Highlights:

  • Construction and Healthcare remain steady in hiring.
  • Government hiring is flat due to firings at the federal level offsetting state and local gains ([04:04]–[04:29], EJ Antoni).
  • Leisure and Hospitality underperformed expectations, possibly due to seasonal adjustment anomalies, though future revisions might improve these numbers.

• Policy Impacts:

  • Tariffs, especially on steel and aluminum (Section 232), are causing cost burdens on manufacturers, harming both domestic producers and exporters ([05:13], EJ Antoni).
  • The Iran war fallout is the “biggest drag” on the labor market due to commodity spikes (oil, plastics components, chemicals) increasing costs across the board, “really chilled hiring in a lot of sectors of the economy.” ([05:13]–[06:38], EJ Antoni).

• Silver Linings:

  • Employment among foreign-born workers dropped below pre-pandemic trends for the first time since 2022, which EJ attributes to stricter immigration policies ([06:42]–[07:35]).
  • “We have definitely slammed the brakes on the number of foreign born workers coming into the country and getting jobs.” ([07:12], EJ Antoni).

Notable Quotes

• EJ Antoni ([03:14]):
  “Unfortunately, the further you go into the report, I think you just continue to find that a lot of the internals are not very good this time around.”
• EJ Antoni ([06:02]):
  “The incredible cost pressure that we have seen... all from the fallout of the Iran war... have really chilled hiring in a lot of sectors of the economy.”
• EJ Antoni ([07:12]):
  “We have definitely slammed the brakes on the number of foreign born workers coming into the country and getting jobs.”

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2. White House Accelerates Deportations

Key Segment: [08:48]–[13:05]
Reporter: Jenny Terre, Daily Wire Immigration Reporter

Key Discussion Points

• Arrest Quotas Return:

  • ICE is now instructed to make about 2,000 arrests per day—doubling the earlier quota. During a recent five-day surge, ICE arrested about 10,000 people.
  • The current ICE detention population stands at roughly 63,000 ([09:13], Jenny Terre).
  • Officers are now working weekends and being called in on short notice, even during approved vacations ([10:25], Jenny Terre).

• Official Statement:

  • “We’re seeing our arrest numbers come up. We’re seeing our deportation numbers continue to increase. Right now we’re deporting on average over 3,200 individuals a day. Seventy percent of those individuals... have outstanding criminal charges on them or ... already been charged with a felony.” ([10:06], Immigration Authority)

• Morale and Capacity:

  • The surge is straining morale among ICE officers, particularly because of mandatory overtime and abrupt schedule changes.
  • Unlike previous years, ICE now has more manpower and financial resources, possibly making the quotas more attainable ([11:14], Jenny Terre).

• Changes in Approach:

  • Secretary Mullen prefers a “quiet approach” to immigration raids versus the “showy patrols” under the previous Secretary Kristi Noem.
  • Despite a broader focus, the White House emphasizes that 70% of those arrested have criminal histories, framing the crackdown as targeting “the worst of the worst” ([12:44], Jenny Terre).

Notable Quotes

• Jenny Terre ([09:13]):
  “ICE right now is being told that arrest quotas are back... This is a huge increase.”
• Immigration Authority ([10:06]):
  “Right now we’re deporting on average over 3,200 individuals a day. Seventy percent of those... have outstanding criminal charges or have already been charged with a felony.”
• Jenny Terre ([10:44]):
  “There are some concerns... that this will tank agency morale. I’ve even heard that some people were called in on their vacation days and approved days off for this.”

---

3. GOP Announces First-Ever Midterm Convention

Key Segment: [13:08]–[17:25]
Guest: Ben Domenech, Daily Wire Opinion Editor

Key Discussion Points

• President Trump’s Announcement:

  • First-ever Republican midterm convention to be held in Dallas this September ([13:22]–[13:41]).
  • Aimed at energizing the base, resetting the party’s image, and showcasing achievements.

• Format & Strategy:

  • Not a traditional nominating convention, but rather a “made for TV show” plus entertainment, celebrations of first responders, and tributes to Americans ([14:38], Ben Domenech).
  • The event seeks to project Republican unity and accomplishments, in contrast to perceived party infighting and lack of clear messaging.

• Fundraising Divide:

  • The DNC considered a similar event but dropped the plan due to financial constraints; Republicans currently have a “much larger war chest” than Democrats ([15:36], Ben Domenech).
  • Ben points out Democrat fundraising is suffering outside of far-left candidates; traditional party leaders are failing to generate enthusiasm or contributions ([16:48], Ben Domenech).

Notable Quotes

• Ben Domenech ([13:41]):
  “I think that they're trying to make up for [the lack of a barnstorming tour] by scheduling this midterm convention, which is designed to highlight what they've been able to achieve.”
• Ben Domenech ([14:38]):
  “This is going to be a show basically—a made for TV show... where they feel like people start paying attention in the fall.”
• Ben Domenech ([15:36]):
  “It is not even close. Republicans have so much more money to play with than the Democrats have. Democrat fundraising has been a real problem for them.”
• Ben Domenech ([16:48]):
  “Democrats have an enthusiastic base for these socialist left candidates, but they don't have an enthusiastic base for their leadership... They've struggled to get the kind of resources you would normally see flow to them.”

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Timestamps for Key Segments

• [01:00] — Jobs report headline numbers
• [03:10] — Job trend analysis and sector breakdown
• [05:13] — Tariffs and Iran war impact
• [06:42] — Employment trends among foreign-born vs. native-born
• [08:48] — ICE arrest quotas and enforcement surge
• [10:06] — Government official statement on deportation numbers
• [13:08] — Trump announces midterm GOP convention
• [15:36] — Fundraising comparison: GOP vs. Democrats

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Memorable Moments & Takeaways

• The June jobs report signals an economic slowdown, compounded by global conflict and U.S. policy choices.
• ICE is under new pressure to double daily arrests, which may be sustainable due to expanded resources but risks exhausting staff and lowering morale.
• President Trump’s GOP is capitalizing on its financial edge with a novel midterm convention, while Democrats lag in both funds and voter enthusiasm for their leadership.
• The tone throughout is factual, brisk, and focused on underlying causes and future implications, with guests offering both technical analysis and pointed political commentary.

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This summary delivers all key points, quotes, and context from the original episode for listeners and non-listeners alike.

Transcript

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[Georgia Howe]

The June jobs report is in falling significantly below expectations. We break down the numbers and what they mean for the economy coming in below expectations here.

[Jenny Terre]

So the estimate was 115,000 jobs added in June. That coming in at 57,000. So just around half that was expected.

[Georgia Howe]

I'm Georgia Howe. John is out this week. It's Friday, July 3rd and this is Morning Wire. Arrest quotas are back as the administration re ups their commitment to mass deportations. What's the new strategy and is it sustainable?

[Government Official/Immigration Authority]

Seeing what that investment means, seeing what we're doing every single day on getting the worst of the worst out because we have continuous funding is absolutely remarkable.

[Georgia Howe]

And President Trump announces a first ever midterm GOP convention in Dallas this September.

[Narrator/Advertiser]

The event is an effort to boost

[EJ Antoni]

turnaround out in races that will decide

[Narrator/Advertiser]

whether the Republican Party maintains control of Congress.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with MORNING Wire. Stay tuned. We have the news you need to know. Before we jump into the show, I want to tell you something really exciting happening at daily wire this Fourth of July. America is turning 250 years old this year and Daily Wire is marking the occasion with an offer we've never made before. Three months of Daily Wire plus for just $17.76. It's an awesome deal. You'll get access to all of our shows, plus editorial articles and the full documentary and entertainment library. Plus there's a ton of newly added American history content just for July that is absolutely worth your time watching. So if you've been thinking about joining Daily Wire, now is a great time to go to DailyWirePlus.com to take advantage of this deal. And happy 250th America. The June jobs report is out. The U.S. economy added just 57,000 non farm payroll jobs in June, well short of the expected 115,000. Joining us to interpret the new jobs numbers is EJ Antoni, chief economist at the Heritage Foundation. EJ, thanks for coming on.

[EJ Antoni]

My pleasure, thank you for having me again.

[Georgia Howe]

So, just to start, can you run us through some of the top line findings from this most recent report?

[EJ Antoni]

Sure. You mentioned the headline number in terms of the non farm payrolls added. Unfortunately though, when you look at the previous two months that were revised down, they were revised down by more than the number of jobs added in June. In other words, it's a net reduction in the number of jobs in the overall economy and that's just the number of jobs. If we look, look at the second part of the report in which we get the information from a survey of households and we ask questions like are you employed, unemployed, et cetera, there we saw the number of people employed in the country fell by more than half a million last month. So things are clearly moving in the wrong direction. And unfortunately, the further you go into the report, I think you just continue to find that a lot of the internals are not very good this time around.

[Georgia Howe]

Now what can we infer about the health of various sectors from this report? Where are we seeing the jobs come from and then what sectors are seeing weak or negative growth?

[EJ Antoni]

Well, it was very mixed. You know, we're still seeing construction do okay. We're still seeing the healthcare sector power along. Government really hasn't added many jobs at all this year because the hiring that we have seen at the state and local level has basically been offset more or less by all of the firing at the federal level. So we're not seeing the over reliance on government that we did did in years past. I guess that's good news there.

[Government Official/Immigration Authority]

Right.

[EJ Antoni]

But if we look at something like leisure and hospitality, which we really thought was going to put in a strong print this time around, it really didn't. It actually seriously underperformed and maybe the seasonal adjustments have something to do with that. So it's definitely possible that the next couple of months we'll see the June number revised higher. Here's hoping that's the case because again, if we look at other data, especially from the private sector, you would have expected leisure and hospitality to do a heck of a lot better than than it did according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics.

[Georgia Howe]

Now what policies do you attribute these trends to? I mean, we've had tariffs in place for at least a year now. Do you see fingerprints from that? On these reports, some of the tariffs

[EJ Antoni]

are definitely having a negative effect. Unfortunately, you know, we still don't have a reciprocal tariff rate scheduled. Part of the problem why tariffs have become the drag that they have is that they haven't been implemented the way we were promised they would be. When you look at, for example, the section 232 on steel and aluminum, they have imposed serious cost burdens on American manufacturers because we're having to import the raw materials, pay a very high tariff on it to then try to produce stuff in our factories here and not only sell it here, but then ship it abroad. So that has hurt both domestic consumers. It's also hurt our exporters, unfortunately, because again, I don't think we're necessarily getting those tariff rates right. So that has definitely become a drag. But far and away the biggest drag we're seeing right now on the labor market is definitely the fallout from the Iran war. We see that in a lot of other survey data, whether they're the purchasing manager indexes, the surveys from the 12 regional Fed banks, both on the manufacturing and on the service sector side. The incredible cost pressure that we have seen as a result of not just oil spiking, but a lot of other commodities too. Again, all from the fallout of the Iran war, whether it's the petrochemical blend stocks that go into plastics, whether it's sulfuric acid, whether it's helium, or all of these different things that have gone up in price so much, have really chilled hiring in a lot of sectors of the economy.

[Georgia Howe]

So overall, a pretty brutal report. Were there any silver linings that you saw?

[EJ Antoni]

If you had to find any silver lining in this report, it would be this. Looking at foreign born workers, the number of foreign born workers with jobs that actually fell pretty substantially. And not only did it fall month over month, it's a very noisy data set that's not necessarily as meaningful. But on an annual basis it also fell and that takes out the seasonality component. And it fell so much that it is now actually below its pre pandemic trend for the first time since 2022. So I think the change in immigration policies of this administration are definitely bearing fruit. Now that's not to say native born Americans that they're doing that great. Unfortunately their annual change was also negative. But again, we have definitely slammed the brakes on the number of foreign born workers coming into the country and getting jobs.

[Georgia Howe]

All right, well ej, thank you so much for coming on today.

[EJ Antoni]

Mo, My pleasure. Thank you for having me.

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[Georgia Howe]

is pushing ICE to turbocharge arrests of illegal immigrants. Daily Wire immigration reporter Jenny Terre joins us now to discuss what exactly that means. Jenny, thanks for coming on.

[Jenny Terre]

Thanks for having me.

[Georgia Howe]

So, Jenny, the White House is directing ICE to surge their arrests and to increase the rate at which they're deporting people. What exactly do we know about what they plan on changing and how they plan on increasing their capacity?

[Jenny Terre]

Right. So ICE right now is being told that arrest quotas are back. So those officers are being instructed by the White House to make about 2,000 arrests per day. Earlier, under this administration, we saw a quota of about a thousand per day. So this is a huge increase. In a recent five day operation, there were about 10,000 arrests. Now, that operation ended earlier this week. So they are trying to keep that pace. They're trying to keep that going. ISIS detention population all the while is growing. There's about 63,000 illegal immigrants in ICE detention. And those officers are working around the clock. They're working weekends now. And they're really out there trying to make these arrest numbers and fulfill the White House's wishes. Secretary Mullen also earlier this week confirmed that arrests are up and deportations are surging. Listen here.

[Government Official/Immigration Authority]

We're seeing our arrest numbers come up. We're seeing our deportation numbers continue to increase. Right now we're deporting on average over 3200 individuals a day. 70% of those individuals we're deporting have outstanding criminal charges on them or they've already been charged with a felony.

[Jenny Terre]

That 2000 a day arrest quota is something similar to what we saw under the tenure of Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who has since been replaced by Mullen. And he's now appearing to bring that back.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, Jenny, you have sources within ice. I imagine they're experiencing a lot of pressure. What are they saying about this?

[Jenny Terre]

So over the weekend, these ICE officers were pulled in from across the country for a massive surge effort. Those officers were told it was mandatory, that they needed as much manpower as possible, up to 100%. One source told me that it was super last minute, but it was a huge effort. There are some concerns, however, from some of my sources that this will tank agency morale. I've even heard that some people were called in on their vacation days and approved days off for this.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, what is the White House saying about this and why are they doing this?

[Jenny Terre]

Now, it's important to note when looking at this that last year, White House advisor Stephen Miller had instituted a 3,000 a day arrest quota. And that was a huge goal for ice. It really hurt their morale. It really made their lives and their jobs harder. And they were working again weekends, they were working long hours. Now, ICE has since added thousands of officers and they've added billions of dollars to their budget. So that's the biggest difference right now is they have more manpower, they have more resources. Now, at the same time, if we look at what Mullen's approach was to carrying out the mass deportation effort, when he came into dhs, he said that he wanted a quiet approach to immigration raids. And it does seem like this new operation is going about quietly. They're not really saying, hey, we're in these cities like they were. Under Secretary Noem, when we saw those really showy patrols, we also saw Border patrol was out and they were out in force. And it was a very, like, made for TV moment in a lot of these cities. And we're not really seeing that happening. They're still seemingly taking that more quiet, under wraps approach, but it remains to be seen how this could continue. So we'll definitely keep an eye on it.

[Georgia Howe]

What is the strategy right now? Are they returning to the broad approach or are they continuing to target the worst of the worst?

[Jenny Terre]

It does appear that they are taking a broader approach to arrests, but the Trump administration is saying that 70% of those that they are arresting are individuals who have criminal histories, either convictions or charges. So they want the American people to feel like they're taking really bad guys off the streets.

[Georgia Howe]

All right. Well, Jenny, thanks so much for reporting.

[Jenny Terre]

Thank you.

[Georgia Howe]

President Trump has announced something the Republican Party has never done before, a midterm convention. Joining us now to talk through what it means is Daily Wire opinion editor and host of the Big Ben show, Ben Domenech. Ben, thanks for coming on.

[Ben Domenech]

Great to be with you as always.

[Georgia Howe]

So, just starting with the basics, President Trump posted on Truth Social that the RNC is going to hold its first ever midterm convention this September in Dallas. The national political parties don't usually do a convention outside of the main election year. Why is he doing this now and what is the format going to be?

[Ben Domenech]

Well, I think one of the things that's been absent noticeably from this midterm election is the kind of barnstorming tour that Donald Trump has done in the past politically across the country. A big part of that, of course, is that he's been working in Washington. He has stayed closer to the White House than he did in his previous term. And I think that they're trying to make up for that a bit by scheduling this midterm convention, which is designed to highlight the things that they've been able to achieve. I also think that they're hoping it's going to be a unifying moment for the Republican Party, which, in case you haven't noticed, has been kind of clawing back and forth at itself.

[Georgia Howe]

Now what he's promising is we have some entertainment that's going to come on stage. He's going to be celebrating first responders, some hardworking Americans that have not yet been named. Is this going to function like a campaign rally or is this going to be like a traditional convention? And if so, what would the distinction be?

[Ben Domenech]

Well, I think the distinction here is that, you know, there's nobody being nominated. There's no, you know, actual formal process. I think this is going to be a show basically a made for TV show that they come together and do in Dallas at a particular moment that where they feel like, you know, people start paying attention in the fall to politics and to thinking about who they're going to vote for. They're hoping, I think, that this gets the kind of TV attention, the kind of media attention that can re sort of establish themselves as being a party that has gotten things done, which is not the current reputation that they have with the American voter on average. And so I think that's the reset that they're looking for. It's going to be a made for TV event like most conventions are.

[Georgia Howe]

Now, the DNC notably considered doing something similar, but they decided against it because of cost. What does that decision tell you about where the two parties are heading into November? Where are their war chests comparatively?

[Ben Domenech]

It is not even close. Republicans have so much more money to play with than the Democrats have. Democrat fundraising has been a real problem for them. The only candidates who've really been able to fundraise consistently this time around are some of those more extreme candidates who've been doing well online. Democrats are really behind and the dnc, quite frankly, was pretty poorly run when it came to their finances. And that means that they're looking at a lot of different people to get in their corners. Billionaires who've bailed them out in the past to come in and basically try to back them with various super PACs and things that are going to have to work as outside, outside of the party entities in order to back everything that they've done. They bet a lot of money on a lot of different things that haven't necessarily worked out for them, including, for instance, the Virginia redistricting fight. And I think that at the end of the day, Democrats do actually have a money problem that could play out in the fall in ways that would hurt their ability to get their message across.

[Georgia Howe]

Relating to the fact that the Dems are so down when it comes to raising cash. Does that raise flags about where their base is? Or is the money mismanagement separate from the level of enthusiasm among their voters?

[Ben Domenech]

The thing is that Democrats have an enthusiastic base for these socialist left candidates, but they don't have an enthusiastic base for their leadership. Hakeem Jeffries, Chuck Schumer, these are not popular figures within the Democratic Party. And the truth is that because of that, they've struggled to get the kind of resources that you would normally see flow to them, assuming that they have a real shot at winning. Now, I do think some of that's going to change. I think that there's going to be a lot of blue dollars that flow in, for instance, to the aforementioned Texas. But I also think that that's something where they are behind and they're going to have to make up some significant round.

[Georgia Howe]

All right, well, Ben, thank you so much for making time for us today.

[Ben Domenech]

Great to be with you.

[Georgia Howe]

Thanks for waking up with us. The reporting that fuels this show is only possible because you tune in every day and because of our Daily Wire subscribers to enjoy the show ad free and join our mission. Become a [e-mail] we'll be back later this evening with more news you need to know.

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[Government Official/Immigration Authority]

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[Jenny Terre]

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