Trump Says His Deportation Policy Might Have Been Too Tough After Midterms
Trump told CBS's 60 Minutes his deportation policy may have been too tough and he would work with Democrats on immigration. What changed and what did not.
President Donald Trump said in a CBS 60 Minutes interview aired Sunday that his deportation policy “might have been too tough,” and he said he would like to reach an immigration deal with Democrats. He did not announce any change to deportation operations, according to Publimetro México, so removals continue under the same rules for now.
The comments came after Republicans lost ground in the Nov. 3 midterm elections. Democrats will control both chambers of Congress starting in January 2027, Publimetro reported.
What Trump said about long-time workers
Trump said he deserved an A+ for closing the border and removing people he described as criminals. He also said the policy hurt him politically because it swept up workers with steady jobs whose only violation was entering the country without authorization.
He gave examples: people employed in hotels, restaurants and landscaping companies who have lived in the United States for 10 to 15 years, hold jobs and in some cases pay taxes. He said part of the country wants these workers removed, while others want a deal that lets them stay.
Asked whether a deal was possible, Trump said he would like to “do something” on immigration. He did not present a proposal or endorse a specific plan.
What this means for families in Mexico
For households in Mexico with relatives working in the United States without papers, nothing has changed on the ground. Trump gave no order to pause or narrow deportations, and he named no group that would be protected.
Other signals point the other way. Trump named Stephen Miller as White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. Publimetro described Miller as one of the main architects of the administration’s restrictive immigration policy, and his appointment contrasts with the softer tone of the interview.
Any deal of the kind Trump described would need Congress, which Democrats take over in January 2027. The interview did not include a timeline or any details on who would qualify.
Other topics in the interview
Trump also defended Nvidia chief executive Jensen Huang, calling him an honorable person, after the company’s board opened an independent investigation into whether Huang was targeted by a foreign intelligence operation. Reports had described a personal relationship between Huang and a Chinese businesswoman alleged to have links to Beijing’s intelligence services. Nvidia said it has no reason so far to believe corporate or national security secrets were compromised. Trump said he had not spoken to Huang about the accusations.
On Iran, Trump again rejected calling the conflict a war, arguing that the US military has had no deaths in the last seven months. Pentagon figures cited by Publimetro contradict that: as of Nov. 4, operations related to Iran had left 23 US service members dead and 866 wounded.
What to watch next
The new Congress begins in January 2027. Whether Trump turns his interview comments into a formal immigration proposal, and how a White House led by Miller handles deportations until then, will decide whether anything changes for migrant workers and their families.
Source: Publimetro México
