United States President Donald Trump on Wednesday suggested that his administration may adopt a “softer touch” in enforcing immigration laws, even as officials reaffirmed that mass deportations would continue nationwide.
Trump’s comments came amid mounting public outrage following the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal immigration officers in Minneapolis last month. The incidents sparked nationwide demonstrations and intensified scrutiny of federal immigration operations in Minnesota.
Speaking during an interview on NBC’s Nightly News, Trump said the events in Minneapolis had prompted some reflection. “I learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch. But you still have to be tough,” he said, while maintaining his administration’s commitment to strong enforcement.
Earlier in the day, Trump’s border chief, Tom Homan, announced that 700 federal officers would be withdrawn from Minnesota with immediate effect, reducing the number of deployed agents to about 2,000. However, Homan stressed that the broader immigration crackdown would remain firmly in place.
“Mass deportations are here, they’re coming, we’re already breaking records, and we’re not going to stop,” Homan said during an interview with Fox News, reinforcing the administration’s hardline stance.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, welcomed the reduction of federal personnel, describing it as “a step in the right direction,” but urged the federal government to move faster in winding down immigration operations in the state. Frey called for the complete termination of the operation known as “Metro Surge.”
Homan, who was deployed to Minneapolis after public anger grew over the killings and disputed federal accounts of the incidents, attributed the drawdown to increased cooperation with local authorities and a shift toward arresting undocumented migrants directly from jails rather than on the streets.
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The shootings involved two U.S. citizens: Renee Good, 37, who was killed during an encounter with immigration agents while attempting to drive away, and Alex Pretti, also 37, an intensive care nurse who was beaten and fatally shot while restrained on the ground. Both deaths have drawn international condemnation and calls for accountability.
While Trump expressed sadness over the deaths, saying the incidents “should not have happened,” he reaffirmed his support for federal law enforcement agencies. “If we don’t back them, we don’t have a country,” he said.
The controversy has further positioned Minneapolis as a focal point in the national debate over immigration enforcement, policing, and the balance between security and human rights in the United States.