Trump told inner circle to tone down mass deportation policies

Trump has directed his top advisers to lower the public profile of his mass deportation operation and adopt a toned-down messaging approach.

In discussions with senior aides and Melania, Trump became convinced that some deportation policies went too far and that voters strongly dislike the term “mass deportation.”

He now wants emphasis placed on arresting “bad guys” and reducing visible chaos in American cities.

White House chief of staff Susie Wiles pushed the reset, arguing that the immigration team had turned a core campaign promise into a political liability ahead of the midterms.

Border czar Tom Homan, who took over ICE operations in Minneapolis, has steered enforcement toward routine arrests of criminals handed over by local jails rather than high-profile raids.

ICE has paused large-scale operations in blue cities such as Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Minneapolis.

Daily arrests dropped to roughly 1,200 from over 1,500 during the peak Minnesota operation.

The firing of DHS Secretary Kristi Noem created the opening for this shift. Incoming DHS head Sen. Markwayne Mullin pledged at his confirmation hearing to reverse Noem’s confrontational directives, including the secret policy allowing ICE to force entry into private homes without judicial warrants.

“My goal in six months is that we’re not in the lead story every day,” Mullin said.

Trump has complained repeatedly about negative headlines under Noem and instructed aides to avoid “mass deportation” language, instead framing targets as “criminals.”

“We’ve got to focus on the criminals,” Trump told senior aides.

Polling shown to Trump indicates the “mass deportation” phrase is unpopular, with one survey finding 58% of respondents believing he is going too far.