President Trump made an interesting comment about the methods used by ICE and Border Patrol agents. In a sit-down interview with NBC News, the 47th President said agents conducting deportation operations could have a “softer touch.” However, Trump didn’t stop there. He added that agents can’t be too soft, though, because, at the end of the day, they are dealing with mostly dangerous criminals. NBC News provided further details on Trump’s remarks: President Donald Trump told NBC News on Wednesday that he believes his administration could use “a softer touch” in its immigration enforcement operations after federal agents shot and killed two U.S. citizens last month in Minneapolis. “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 Oval Office interview with “NBC 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.” Trump has been engaged in a weekslong feud with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, two Democrats who have been highly critical of his immigration crackdown in the city and condemned the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37, in separate incidents in January. Trump, Vice President JD Vance and other high-ranking administration officials had been quick to blame the fatal shootings on Good and Pretti, at several points characterizing them without evidence as domestic terrorists. Trump’s remarks to NBC News on Wednesday reflect his continued shift in tone as national outrage over the killings takes hold. At a Jan. 20 White House briefing, Trump said that federal agents “make mistakes sometimes.” Watch Trump say it here: Trump says the lesson of Minneapolis is ‘Maybe we can use a little bit of a SOFTER TOUCH’ pic.twitter.com/l4RTj1Et1g — RT (@RT_com) February 4, 2026 Trump’s comments come just a couple of days after Border Czar Tom Homan announced hundreds of Federal agents would be pulled from Minnesota. AP reported on Homan’s remarks more closely: The Trump administration is reducing the number of immigration officers in Minnesota but will continue its enforcement operation that has sparked weeks of tensions and deadly confrontations, border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday. About 700 federal officers — roughly a quarter of the total deployed to Minnesota — will be withdrawn immediately after state and local officials agreed over the past week to cooperate by turning over arrested immigrants, Homan said. But he did not provide a timeline for when the administration might end the operation that has become a flashpoint in the debate over President Donald Trump’s mass deportation efforts since the fatal shootings of U.S. citizens Renee Good and Alex Pretti in Minneapolis. About 2,000 officers will remain in the state after this week’s drawdown, Homan said. That’s roughly the same number sent to Minnesota in early January when the surge ramped up, kicking off what the Department of Homeland Security called its “ largest immigration enforcement operation ever.” Watch the moment Homan said it here: Tom Homan: "I have announced effective immediately, we will draw down 700 people effective today. 700 law enforcement personnel." pic.twitter.com/Vbylc3iIBd — CSPAN (@cspan) February 4, 2026