Trump admits deportations were "too tough" a year after saying ICE raids "haven't gone far enough"

• Donald Trump has admitted his mass deportation policy may have been too tough, saying it may have hurt Republicans in the midterm elections.

• The US president said he is willing to work with Democrats on an immigration deal that could provide a path for some undocumented workers.

• His comments mark a shift from his earlier position that ICE raids had not gone far enough, while his promotion of Stephen Miller has drawn criticism from Democrats.

US President Donald Trump has said his mass deportation policy "might be too tough" and may have hurt his party in the midterm elections, in his first major interview since Republicans lost control of Congress.

Trump made the remarks to CBS correspondent Ross Douthat on 60 Minutes, in an interview that aired on Sunday, November 8, 2026.

"I think it was too tough," he said when asked whether his deportation policy had gone too far. "I think it might be too tough, yeah." He said his immigration policies had both "helped and hurt" him.

He said he gets high marks for removing "the bad ones" and gave himself an "A+" on border security, but is hurt by the removal of people with good jobs whose only offence was entering the country illegally, such as workers in landscaping companies or hotels.

Trump said he wants to work with Democrats, who take control of Congress in January, on an immigration deal and described a path for those workers as "doable." Asked whether he could go six months without insulting Democrats to secure an agreement, he said, "Very easily."

On Friday, Trump promoted Stephen Miller, the architect of his deportation policy, to White House chief of staff, replacing Susie Wiles. Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer said Trump's solution to a crackdown that had gone too far was to put the man responsible in charge of the White House.

The remarks mark a shift in tone on ICE. In a 60 Minutes interview on November 2, 2025, Trump said ICE raids "haven't gone far enough" because the administration had been held back by judges, and said he was comfortable with the agency's tactics, according to CBS News.

Earlier in 2026, after national outrage over ICE operations in Minnesota, he said the agency could use "a little bit of a softer touch," while insisting officers must still be tough, according to NBC News.

Democrats have said oversight of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security will be a priority when they take control of Congress, according to reports.

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Nigerians are among the foreign nationals affected by US immigration enforcement. Earlier this month, the Justice Department charged two Nigerian green card holders, alongside 61 other foreign nationals, over alleged illegal voting.

The White House had not said whether any change in policy would follow.