U.S. President Donald Trump said he has learned that a “slightly softer” approach could be used in immigration raids, following the deaths of two U.S. citizens amid protests over raids in Minneapolis, Minnesota, last month.
“I learned that we may be able to use a little softer approach,” the president said in an interview with NBC News that aired Wednesday. “But we still have to be firm,” he added.
Softer approach to immigration operations
NBC: “Is your mission now to deport everyone who came in illegally?”
Trump: clarifies that they are after 11,888 “really bad criminals” (not 40 million illegals). 🤡 pic.twitter.com/CwjSfT8RAP
– Tom Hennessy (@Tomhennessey69) February 5, 2026
However, Trump defended his immigration policy in the interview with journalist Tom Llamas, host of NBC Nightly News, by assuring that it is about fighting “very dangerous criminals”.
The White House faced a series of criticisms, including from members of the Republican Party, following the shooting deaths of Renee Nicole Good and Alex Pretti, two 37-year-old U.S. citizens.
Pretti’s death on January 24 further inflamed criticism of the use of excessive force by immigration agents.
Trump confirmed in the Oval Office interview that it was his initiative to withdraw some 700 immigration agents from Minnesota and the city of Minneapolis, announced Wednesday by his border czar, Tom Homan, after reaching cooperation agreements with authorities in that city.
“We have succeeded. We are waiting for them to hand over the murderers they have in custody and all the criminals, drug traffickers, all the bad people we allow to enter our country,” warned the president.
The president again took a swipe at former President Joe Biden (2021-2025), whom he blamed for having an open borders policy.
Again Trump overstated the number of immigrants who entered through the border in the Democratic administration using their right to seek asylum.
He also claimed a drop in crime in cities such as Minneapolis and Chicago, thanks to his immigration policy, without giving substantiated figures.
The Republican leader also complained that he had “good conversations” with Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats, but then heard them criticize him.
“I called the people. I called the governor. I called the mayor. I talked to them. We had very good conversations. And then I see them out there ranting and complaining, literally as if that call never happened,” Trump noted.
The president’s remarks come as a U.S. congressional committee heard Good’s brothers, Luke and Brent Ganger, speak about the “profound grief” left by the woman’s death on Jan. 7.
Filed as: Softer approach in immigration operations
With information from EFE
