Trump says deportation policy may have been too tough
In a Nov. 8 interview, Donald Trump acknowledged political costs from deportations as Stephen Miller, an architect of the policy, became chief of staff.
Donald Trump said the US deportation approach may have been “too tough” in a 60 Minutes interview broadcast Nov. 8, 2026. The remarks followed Republican losses in the Nov. 3 midterm election, as Trump’s appointment of immigration-policy architect Stephen Miller as chief of staff pointed to continuity in the administration’s leadership.
- Trump said the crackdown both helped and hurt him politically, citing border security and the removal of people he called “the bad ones.”
- Some voters in heavily Latino areas linked Republican setbacks at least partly to the immigration crackdown, CBS reported.
- Miller was named chief of staff on Nov. 6; the administration’s plans for enforcement remain unclear in CBS’s reporting.
What Trump said about deportations
CBS reported that Trump was discussing enforcement against people who had lived in the country for a decade or more. “I think it was too tough,” he said, later adding, “I think it might be too tough.” He said the crackdown “both helped and hurt” him at the polls: he believed he had received strong marks for closing the border and removing people he called “the bad ones,” but said he was hurt by cases involving people with jobs whose only violation was entering the country illegally.
The interview was recorded three days after the Nov. 3 election and broadcast Nov. 8. AFP, in reporting carried by The Hindu, described the Republican loss as heavy. CBS reported that Republicans lost support in South Texas and other heavily Latino areas that had moved toward the party two years earlier; some voters linked the reversal at least partly to Trump’s immigration crackdown. CBS also cited exit polling in which 58% said the administration’s immigration actions had gone too far. Asked which party could handle immigration better, voters favored Republicans 43% to 41%.
Trump said he would “love to do something on immigration” with congressional Democrats. CBS reported that Democrats would control the House and Senate starting in 2027. The administration has described its priority as arresting the “worst first,” while also warning that anyone in the country illegally can be arrested and deported.
CBS reported that unauthorized border crossings had fallen dramatically since Trump returned to the White House, while interior arrests and deportations had increased and immigration detention had reached record highs. The outlet said a large share of people arrested had no criminal records beyond immigration offenses. It also reported scrutiny of enforcement tactics including citywide crackdowns, vehicle stops, detention practices and deportations to countries other than migrants’ home countries. The administration said it was targeting public-safety threats.
What Stephen Miller’s appointment means
Trump named Miller chief of staff on Nov. 6, replacing Susie Wiles, CBS reported. AFP’s report carried by The Hindu also reported the appointment. Both outlets described Miller as an architect of the hardline immigration policy; CBS called him a hardliner widely viewed as a designer of the administration’s approach.
What it means
Trump’s remarks acknowledged political costs from enforcement, while the appointment put a figure associated with designing that policy in the chief of staff role. The consequences matter to people facing deportation and communities affected by enforcement. CBS reported that it was unclear whether the administration planned to alter its immigration strategy.
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What this story rests on
2 sources from 2 organisations: 1 news agency, 1 broadcaster.
- 1Trump says his deportation policy might have been "too tough" in 60 Minutes interviewCBS News; original 60 Minutes interview and CBS reporting · cbsnews.comBroadcaster
- 2Trump, in CBS interview, says deportation policy was ‘too tough’The Hindu, reporting credited to AFP · thehindu.comNews agency
AI-assisted article checked against the listed sources. NewsJaws did not conduct interviews or attend the reported events.
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