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By Jesus Mesa and Jason Lemon
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President Donald Trump told NBC News that he learned "maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch" with his immigration crackdown in Minneapolis, after the shooting deaths of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents last month.
“I learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch. But you still have to be tough,” Trump said in an interview with NBC's Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas.
“We’re dealing with really hard criminals. But look, I’ve called the people. I’ve called the governor. I’ve called the mayor. Spoke to ‘em. Had great conversations with them. And then I see them ranting and raving out there. Literally as though a call wasn’t made," the president said.
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Why It Matters
Trump's remarks come after significant backlash, including from some prominent Republican lawmakers, over the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) response to Pretti and Good's deaths and handling of the situation in Minneapolis.
Earlier on Wednesday, border czar Tom Homan, who was sent to take charge of operations in Minnesota, announced that 700 agents would be leaving the state as part of a drawdown effective that day.
What To Know
Homan did not provide a timeline for when the Trump administration might fully end the operation, which has become a focal point in the debate over the president’s immigration enforcement agenda.
About 2,000 federal officers will remain in Minnesota after this week’s drawdown, Homan said. That figure is roughly in line with the number deployed in early January, when the surge began, and DHS described it as the largest immigration enforcement operation ever conducted in the country.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, both Democrats who have criticized the operation, said the withdrawal of 700 officers was a positive initial step but called for the remaining federal presence to be ended as soon as possible.
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The partial pullback follows public criticism of the operation and a decline in confidence in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to recent polling.
The share of Americans who said they had “very little confidence” in ICE rose from 45 percent in December to 55 percent in late January, while the proportion of Republicans expressing low confidence increased from 8 percent to 16 percent, according to Economist/YouGov surveys conducted January 23–26, 2026.
Following Pretti’s shooting, Trump removed Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino from the Minneapolis operation and placed Homan in charge, describing him as “tough but fair” and saying he would report directly to the president. The move effectively reduced the role of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, who has privately attributed aspects of the operation’s fallout to Homeland Security adviser Stephen Miller, according to people familiar with the matter.
What People Are Saying
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz posted on social media: “We need a faster and larger drawdown of forces, state-led investigations into the killings of Alex Pretti and Renee Good, and an end to this campaign of retribution.”
Vice President JD Vance said on The Megyn Kelly Show: “We’re not drawing down the immigration enforcement.”
What Happens Next
The full interview with Trump will air on NBC at 6:30 p.m. ET, and will stream NBC News NOW’s Top Story at 7 p.m. ET.
Update 2/4/26, 4 p.m. ET: This article was updated with additional information.
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