On a Sunday broadcast of CBS's 60 Minutes, President Trump offered a rare admission that his deportation campaign may have been too harsh, and he floated the possibility of an immigration deal with the incoming Democratic Congress, though without offering any terms. The words land awkwardly in a season marked by the deaths of two American citizens at the hands of federal officers during protests, and days after he elevated Stephen Miller, the architect of that hard-line agenda, to chief of staff. What remains is an open question of whether a politics of expulsion can bend toward mercy, and whe
Trump Says Deportation Policy 'Might Have Been Too Tough' as He Eyes a Deal With Democrats
Two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers during protests against the immigration operations.
That's not a course correction. That's a promotion.
Mark
Why does this one remark matter so much? Presidents soften language all the time.
Mimi
Because it's Trump, and because of what he tied it to. He said the deportation policy was part of why Republicans lost, and that it "might be too tough." That's a rare admission, and he paired it with talk of a deal with the new Democratic majority.
Luke
Careful, though. "Might be" is doing real work in that sentence. He hedged, and the reporting doesn't say he's changing policy.
Mark
Did he say what a deal would look like?
Mimi
Not in any detail. He said "we would work something out" and called it doable. He did say killers and drug dealers should still be deported, but suggested people working in landscaping or hotels, some paying taxes, might be allowed to stay.
Luke
Which is a sketch, not a proposal. No bill, no terms, no named negotiating partners. We don't know whether any of it is more than interview talk.
Mark
And the Stephen Miller appointment?
Mimi
It came shortly after the taping. Miller is described as the key architect of the hard-line agenda, and now he's chief of staff. Schumer called it a promotion, not a course correction.
Luke
That's Schumer's reading, and he's an opponent. The facts are the appointment and the timing. What it signals about policy is interpretation.
Mark
What's the weight underneath all this?
Mimi
Two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers during protests against the operations. Democrats say oversight of ICE and DHS is a priority, so any deal won't be negotiated in a vacuum.
El Pulso
- The president admits his deportation drive may have cost his party votes, and the admission lands like a crack in a wall he built himself.
- Days after saying the policy might be too tough, he names Stephen Miller, its chief architect, as chief of staff, and critics call it a promotion rather than a retreat.
- Democrats gaining Congress see an opening for a deal, but they plan to pair any negotiation with sharp oversight of ICE and DHS.
- Two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers during protests, and that memory weighs on every proposal now on the table.
- No terms have been offered yet, so the trajectory depends on whether specifics follow and whether trust can be built between the two sides.
On a Sunday broadcast of CBS's 60 Minutes, President Trump offered a rare admission that his deportation campaign may have been too harsh, and he floated the possibility of an immigration deal with the incoming Democratic Congress, though without offering any terms. The words land awkwardly in a season marked by the deaths of two American citizens at the hands of federal officers during protests, and days after he elevated Stephen Miller, the architect of that hard-line agenda, to chief of staff. What remains is an open question of whether a politics of expulsion can bend toward mercy, and whether those who sought the change will be given the means to hold it to account.
President Trump sat down with CBS's 60 Minutes and said something unexpected: that his deportation policy may have been too tough. He said it was part of the reason Republicans lost ground, and he suggested that a deal with the new Democratic majority in Congress was possible. He gave no details of what it would hold.
He did sketch a rough outline. He still wants killers and drug dealers in the country illegally removed, but he signaled that people working in landscaping or hotels, some of them paying taxes, might be allowed to stay. The timing undercut the message. Shortly after taping, he named Stephen Miller, the central figure behind his crackdown, as chief of staff. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer mocked the move as a promotion, not a course correction.
The crackdown had defined the president's return to office, with major city operations driving arrests sharply higher. During protests against them, federal officers killed two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti. Democrats have made oversight of ICE and DHS a priority, so any negotiation over who can stay will unfold under close scrutiny of how enforcement was carried out.
The interview also turned to 2028. Trump said he would probably not necessarily endorse a successor, and he praised Marco Rubio while declining to name others. For now, the president has offered a deal without terms, and the real question is whether specifics arrive and how Democrats balance talks with accountability.
President Trump sat for an interview with CBS's 60 Minutes, taped on Friday and broadcast on Sunday, and said something few people expected to hear from him: that his deportation policy may have gone too far. Asked about it, he said the policy was part of the reason Republicans lost, and added, "I think it might be too tough, yeah."
He went further and said he believes he can strike an immigration deal with the new Democratic majority in Congress. "The deal would be we would work something out," he said, calling the prospect "actually doable." He did not say what such a deal would contain.
He did offer some outlines of where his thinking sits. Trump said he still believes "killers" and "drug dealers" who are in the country illegally should be deported. But he indicated openness to letting others remain, naming people "working in a landscaping company, or working in a hotel," and, "in some cases, paying taxes."
The timing complicated the message. Shortly after taping the interview on Friday, Trump named Stephen Miller, the key architect of his hard-line immigration agenda, as his new chief of staff. Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer seized on that on social media after the broadcast. "Trump says his immigration crackdown went too far," he wrote, scoffing, and went on: "Apparently, his solution was to put the man responsible for it in charge of the White House. That's not a course correction. That's a promotion."
The crackdown was a defining feature of Trump's return to office. Major operations in multiple cities sent arrests soaring. During protests against those operations, two US citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal officers.
That history shapes what comes next. Democrats have said that oversight of Immigration and Customs Enforcement and the Department of Homeland Security is a priority for the new Congress, which means any negotiation over who can stay will happen alongside scrutiny of how enforcement has been carried out.
The interview also touched on 2028. Asked whether he would endorse a successor, Trump said, "Probably, not necessarily," and pointed to what he called a tremendous bench of people he has good relationships with. Pressed on candidates beyond Vice-President JD Vance, he named only Secretary of State Marco Rubio, a possible contender. "I think Marco's great," he said, but he preferred not to mention others, though he said some senators are excellent. "So I may or may not get involved. I don't know. Maybe I'm better off not getting involved."
For now, the president has floated a deal without terms, while elevating the man most identified with the policy he questioned. What to watch is whether any specifics follow, and how Democrats pair negotiation with oversight of ICE and DHS.
Citas Notables
I think it might be too tough, yeah.— President Trump, on 60 Minutes
That's not a course correction. That's a promotion.— Senate Democratic Leader Chuck Schumer
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