Just days ago, in a rare moment of self-assessment, President Donald Trump admitted in an interview that his immigration policies over the last two years might have been “too tough,” adding that it could have contributed to Americans’ growing dissatisfaction with his job performance — “I think, ultimately, that hurt me,” Trump added.
Now, in true Trump-esque fashion, the president is singing a different tune. Stephen Miller — credited as the brains behind the Trump administration’s aggressive immigration enforcement actions — is now Trump’s new chief of staff.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy Stephen Miller speaking at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) at the Gaylord National Resort & Convention Center in National Harbor, Maryland. By Gage Skidmore.
White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller speaks to U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Special Agents in Charge and Field Operations Directors from around the country at ICE Headquarters in Washington, D.C., May 20, 2025. (DHS photo by Tia Dufour)
The administration now seems to be walking it all back.
Trump Walks Back His Softer Stance on Immigration
The president’s taped interview was on 60 Minutes, where interviewer Ross Douthat asked Trump a series of hard-hitting questions, including on immigration. When Douthat asked the president what issue he would want to work on with the Democrats, Trump responded, “I’d love to do something on immigration.” The president’s “too tough” admission came after Douthat pressed Trump on whether Trump thought his administration’s immigration policy had affected the midterm elections.
Still, Trump said that he would give himself an “A+” for “closing the border,” reiterating that many of the would-be immigrants to America at the border were “from prisons,” or “mental institutions,” and “drug dealers.”
This seemingly softer stance lasted less than a week. After announcing Miller as chief of staff, Trump said he had not instructed Miller to change the administration’s immigration policy.
A Missed Opportunity to Fix A Broken System
Democrats were disappointed with the president’s backtracking. Many cited former president Ronald Reagan, who, like Trump, was a Republican, but is credited with signing important immigration policy that paved the way for millions of undocumented immigrants to gain citizenship.
Democratic Chicago Representative Delia Ramirez challenged Trump to emulate Reagan.
“If Donald Trump decides it’s been 40 years, it was a Republican who did it in 1986, and I’m going to be the Republican that does it again, then prove it, show it,” Ramirez said.
Even some members of the GOP agreed that Trump should do something about his harsh immigration crackdowns. During her midterm campaign, Republican Florida Representative Maria Elvira Salazar aired an ad criticizing the president’s immigration policies. Salazar also drew a parallel between Trump and Reagan, challenging the president to “surpass Reagan’s legacy” and deliver “historic immigration reform.”
Stephen Miller. Image Credit: Gage Skidmore.
Pushback from the Right
Trump’s remarks in his 60 Minutes interview reportedly sparked a flurry of calls from Democrats eager to reach a compromise on immigration policy.
Some Republicans, however, were not happy. GOP Texas Representative Keith Self blasted the remarks, saying that “the takeaway from the midterms should NOT be to moderate our views on immigration,” adding that giving amnesty to illegal immigrants would be a “betrayal of trust.”
Conservative commentator Megyn Kelly, who has disagreed with the president on several issues, also called him out on his remarks.
“And now amnesty. Seriously?” Kelly posted on social media.
Voters Do See Trump’s Immigration Policies Negatively
The numbers show most Americans view the Trump administration’s immigration enforcement actions negatively. A poll conducted before and on election day indicated that 57% of voters agreed with Trump’s initial admission that immigration enforcement actions had gone “too far.” An even larger share of voters, 60%, said they disapproved of how ICE was handling immigration enforcement.
However, 44% of respondents said that they believed Republicans were the party better suited to handle immigration. Forty-one percent said the same of Democrats.
Stuck Between a Rock and a Hard Place
Between the continued pressure from the far right to maintain his hard-line immigration policies, the immigration-friendly Democratic-controlled Congress next year, and negative voter opinion on his stance on immigration, it remains to be seen how the president will juggle these conflicting viewpoints.
The first challenge will likely be how he handles the Democrats’ Dream and Promise Act, one of the liberals’ priorities once the new Congress goes into session in January next year.
The Dream and Promise Act seeks to restore protections for DACA (Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals) recipients and people with Temporary Protected Status (TPS).
About the Author: Tim Ramos
Tim Ramos has written for various publications, corporations, and organizations, covering everything from finance, politics, travel, entertainment, and sports – in Asia and the U.S. for more than 10 years.
