President Donald Trump acknowledged that his administration could benefit from a more nuanced approach in its immigration enforcement efforts following the tragic shootings of two US citizens in Minneapolis last month. The victims, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, were killed by federal agents in separate incidents, sparking widespread outrage and criticism.
Trump suggested that he may need to strike a balance between being firm on border security and treating immigrants with greater understanding, saying "I learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch. But you still have to be tough." He attributed the fatal shootings to the victims themselves, claiming they were "hard criminals" who had not received calls from him, despite his previous conversations with Minnesota's governor and mayor.
The president's comments reflect a shift in tone as national debate over the killings gains momentum. Just days ago, Trump acknowledged that federal agents are not infallible, stating "we make mistakes sometimes." Nevertheless, he has continued to take credit for withdrawing 700 federal immigration agents from Minnesota, a move initially attributed to his top border official, Tom Homan.
Trump's claims about his administration's handling of undocumented immigrants also drew criticism. He falsely stated that during the Biden presidency, 25 million undocumented individuals entered the country under an open-border policy. In reality, Customs and Border Protection data shows that approximately 7.4 million undocumented immigrants crossed the border outside of legal checkpoints during the same period.
The president's stance on immigration has been at odds with critics, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who have condemned his crackdown in the city. Trump's remarks to NBC News may signal a softening of his stance, but it remains unclear whether he will make significant changes to his administration's policies.
Trump suggested that he may need to strike a balance between being firm on border security and treating immigrants with greater understanding, saying "I learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch. But you still have to be tough." He attributed the fatal shootings to the victims themselves, claiming they were "hard criminals" who had not received calls from him, despite his previous conversations with Minnesota's governor and mayor.
The president's comments reflect a shift in tone as national debate over the killings gains momentum. Just days ago, Trump acknowledged that federal agents are not infallible, stating "we make mistakes sometimes." Nevertheless, he has continued to take credit for withdrawing 700 federal immigration agents from Minnesota, a move initially attributed to his top border official, Tom Homan.
Trump's claims about his administration's handling of undocumented immigrants also drew criticism. He falsely stated that during the Biden presidency, 25 million undocumented individuals entered the country under an open-border policy. In reality, Customs and Border Protection data shows that approximately 7.4 million undocumented immigrants crossed the border outside of legal checkpoints during the same period.
The president's stance on immigration has been at odds with critics, including Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, who have condemned his crackdown in the city. Trump's remarks to NBC News may signal a softening of his stance, but it remains unclear whether he will make significant changes to his administration's policies.
. like i get it dude border security is important but come on we can't keep sending our cops after innocent ppl who are just trying to survive and make a living in this country 
. those 2 women Renee & Alex were clearly not hard criminals they got caught up in the system and things went horribly wrong 
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. also 700 fed agents getting pulled out of minnesota was literally a major gesture of goodwill towards governor tim walz and the city - trump got that one right for once 
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still thinks he can just blame the victims for being "hard criminals" though that's pretty messed up. and what about all the people who were wrongly deported during his admin? not a single word from him about that 
like yeah sure we need to be firm on borders but at the same time not kill ppl who are just trying to survive or whatever 
its like so messed up that our president thinks people committing crimes have no human value and need to die 
meanwhile there r real issues with immigration policies and he doesnt wanna talk about those 
. And what's with him claiming 25 million undocumented folks sneaked into the country? That's just a flat-out fabrication. We all know how these numbers work out when politicians try to spin 'em 
. Anyway, it'll be interesting to see if Trump actually follows through on his promise of being more nuanced in immigration enforcement. I've got my doubts though 
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like "I learned we need a softer touch" what a joke! He thinks 2 people getting shot by federal agents is a good reason to be more understanding? 
I'm not buying it. His whole thing is just to keep the border closed and make immigrants feel unwanted. He's all about that "tough guy" act but in reality, he's just playing politics with lives 
. And btw, 700 federal agents getting pulled out of Minny isn't exactly a victory for humanity, it was more like a publicity stunt to calm the situation 
so like i was reading about this and its crazy that trumps admin is getting slammed for these shootings in minneapolis...like i get the concern over immigration but killing ppl is never okay right? 
That doesn't exactly scream "softening" to me. And dude, claiming those two victims were "hard criminals"? Come on, that's some serious gaslighting right there 
. Anyway, I do think it's interesting that he's finally acknowledging the need for a more nuanced approach... but will he actually follow through? 
. Dude, grow up and take responsibility.
. The fact that 2 US citizens got MURDERED by federal agents is just TERRIBLE 
. I'm glad he's finally willing to consider a more nuanced approach, but let's be real, it's gonna take a LOT more than just "a softer touch" to fix this mess 
. I'm glad we're seeing some pushback from governors and mayors, but it's up to Trump to make real changes now 
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. It's about time! I mean, who wants to see federal agents shooting at innocent people? That's just not right 
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. That's not only untrue but also kinda heartless. And those numbers about undocumented immigrants... 25 million vs 7.4 million? It just shows how much misinformation is floating around out there 
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and btw 25 million ppl sneaking in is not something that just happened during one pres 
