# Trump Says Deportations Were 'Too Tough,' Then Promotes Their Architect

- URL: https://twotakes.us/stories/trump-says-deportations-were-too-tough-then-promotes-their-architect
- Published: 2026-11-10T08:02:01.810747+00:00
- Topics: immigration, deportation, trump-administration, midterm-elections, stephen-miller

## What the left says
- Trump's own admission validates what critics said all along: the mass deportation campaign swept up longtime workers, taxpayers, and otherwise law-abiding immigrants rather than focusing narrowly on criminals.
- Elevating Stephen Miller to chief of staff right after this admission shows the acknowledgment was hollow, since the person most responsible for the hardline approach now has more power, not less.
- Chuck Schumer's characterization of the move as 'a promotion, not a course correction' captures the gap between Trump's conciliatory words and his actual personnel decisions.
- The midterm losses are being read as a public rebuke of aggressive enforcement tactics that targeted maids, waitresses, and landscapers with deep community ties.

## What the right says
- Trump still stands firmly behind the border security success and the removal of criminals, drug dealers, and other dangerous individuals, giving that part of the policy an 'A+' and 'very high marks.'
- Acknowledging that some non-criminal workers were caught up in enforcement is a pragmatic recalibration, not an abandonment of the broader immigration crackdown.
- Promoting Miller reflects continued confidence in strong enforcement as the foundation of immigration policy, even while leaving room to negotiate narrower fixes for sympathetic cases.
- Openness to a deal targeting only long-term, tax-paying workers in jobs like hospitality and landscaping is a measured, targeted adjustment rather than a wholesale shift toward amnesty.

## Common ground
- Trump said in the CBS '60 Minutes' interview that deportation enforcement was 'too tough' and contributed to Republican losses in the midterms.
- He expressed interest in working with Democrats on an immigration deal that would let some non-criminal, working immigrants stay in the country.
- Stephen Miller, widely seen as the architect of the deportation policy, was named White House chief of staff shortly after the interview was taped.
- Both sides recognize the timing creates a visible tension between Trump's conciliatory remarks and his personnel choice.

## Sources
- [ABC News](https://abcnews.com/US/trump-tough-deportation-policies-hurt-midterms/story?id=137963657) (Lean Left)
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-11-09-0800/donald-trump-trump-says-his-deportation-policies-might-be-too-tough-open-deal-democrats-immigration) (Center)
- [AllSides](https://www.allsides.com/news/2026-11-09-0800/donald-trump-trump-admits-deportation-policy-was-too-tough-despite-promotion-stephen-miller) (Center)
- [Breitbart](https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2026/11/08/trump-dangles-amnesty-illegal-aliens-jobs/) (Unknown)
- [Daily Wire](https://www.dailywire.com/news/trump-says-his-mass-deportation-effort-was-too-tough) (Right)
- [PBS NewsHour](https://www.pbs.org/newshour/politics/trump-says-his-deportation-policy-might-have-been-too-tough-for-midterm-voters) (Lean Left)
- [RealClearPolitics](https://www.realclearpolitics.com/2026/11/09/trump_deportation_policy_might_have_been_too_tough_717035.html) (Center)
- [The Daily Signal](https://www.dailysignal.com/2026/11/09/trump-teases-controversial-deal-with-democrats-on-amnesty-for-illegals/) (Right)
- [The Hill](https://thehill.com/homenews/6207170-trump-immigration-policy-midterm-losses/) (Center)

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