US President Donald Trump has suggested that his administration may need to adopt a “softer touch” in enforcing immigration laws, following intense public backlash over the fatal shootings of two protesters by federal officers in Minneapolis. The remarks come as officials confirmed a partial withdrawal of immigration personnel from Minnesota, even as the government reaffirmed its commitment to mass deportations.
Speaking in an interview with NBC News on Wednesday, Donald Trump said recent events in Minneapolis had prompted some reflection on how immigration operations are carried out. “I learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch,” he said, before adding that enforcement still needed to remain firm.
The comments followed an announcement by border enforcement chief Tom Homan that around 700 federal officers would be pulled out of Minnesota. Homan said the reduction would take effect immediately, although approximately 2,000 federal agents would remain in the state, maintaining what has become one of the most controversial immigration operations in the country.
The deployment in Minnesota intensified last month after the fatal shootings of two US citizens during encounters with immigration agents in Minneapolis, triggering widespread protests and international scrutiny. Local officials and civil rights groups have called for an end to the raids, arguing they have undermined public trust and endangered lives.
Despite the drawdown, Homan made clear that the administration’s broader strategy would not change. In a separate interview with Fox News, he said deportations of undocumented migrants would continue at pace. “Mass deportations are here, they’re coming. We’re already breaking records, and we’re not going to stop,” he said.
Local leaders welcomed the reduction in federal personnel but said it did not go far enough. Minneapolis mayor Jacob Frey described the move as a positive step but called for the federal operation, known as Metro Surge, to end immediately. Minnesota Governor Tim Walz echoed that view, urging a faster and more substantial withdrawal and calling for state-led investigations into the killings.
Homan said the reduced footprint was possible because of greater cooperation with local authorities, including an increase in arrests of undocumented migrants with criminal records directly from jails rather than through street operations. He noted that before the current crackdown, there were only about 150 federal immigration officers in Minnesota.
The two deaths that sparked the protests involved Renee Good, 37, who was shot by federal agents as she attempted to drive away from an encounter, and Alex Pretti, also 37, an intensive care nurse who was beaten and shot while pinned to the ground. Both were unarmed and both were US citizens.
In the NBC interview, Trump said he was troubled by the deaths, though he stopped short of condemning the agents involved. “I’m not happy with what happened there,” he said. “It should not have happened. It was very sad.”
At the same time, Trump reiterated his strong support for law enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement. “I’m going to always be with our great people of law enforcement,” he said. “If we don’t back them, we don’t have a country.”
The fallout from the Minneapolis operation prompted the administration to remove Gregory Bovino, a senior Customs and Border Protection commander known for his confrontational style, and replace him with Tom Homan, who pledged to scale back the operation under certain conditions.
As the administration seeks to balance public anger with its hardline immigration agenda, the developments in Minnesota highlight the growing tension between enforcement goals and concerns over accountability, use of force and civil liberties — a debate likely to intensify as Trump presses ahead with his broader deportation drive nationwide.
