Trump said his deportation policy may have been "too tough," according to Al Jazeera, which reported on his remarks in an interview with CBS’s "60 Minutes" that aired Sunday. The comments came after his party lost control of the House and Senate in midterm elections last week.
In the interview, Trump said "I think it might be too tough" about the policy. He said some voters were unhappy with the deportation drive, which led to widespread protests, according to Al Jazeera. He also said his party lost control of both chambers of Congress last week.
Trump said he may be able to work with the new Democratic-controlled Congress on an immigration deal, according to Al Jazeera. He described a deal that would still deport criminals but let "good people" who had lived and worked in the country and paid taxes stay. DW reported that Trump did not share details of what the deal would look like.
The interview also touched on personnel changes. Trump appointed Stephen Miller, the architect of the hardline immigration policy, as White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles, according to Al Jazeera. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer posted on X that the Miller appointment was "a promotion," not a course correction.
The timing of the appointment is reported differently. Al Jazeera says the interview aired after Trump appointed Miller. DW says Trump appointed Miller shortly after the interview. France 24 says the appointment came on Friday, before the interview aired on Sunday.
The immigration operations have been controversial. Two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers during protests against the operations, according to Al Jazeera. The sources do not give details of the circumstances of those deaths beyond the federal officers being responsible.
Trump promised an immigration crackdown during his campaign, blaming undocumented migrants for soaring crime. Detention and deportation operations in multiple US cities have caused arrests to soar, though the sources do not say how many people were deported or arrested. Democrats say oversight of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security is a priority for the new Congress.
Trump also said in the interview that he was "very close" to a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war, without sharing details. He is expected to meet Dana White on Monday. He plans to attend an APEC leaders’ summit in China next week, where he will reportedly meet Xi Jinping and Vladimir Putin to discuss ending the Iran war.
Most of the key facts in this story rely on Al Jazeera. The sources do not include a response from the White House or Republican leaders to Trump’s comments, and no Trump administration explanation of the Miller appointment was included.
Sources
This article was written with AI assistance from the published reporting listed above. It is part of the World Brief daily news podcast.