Trump says fatal Minneapolis shootings may lead to ‘softer touch’ in immigration enforcement

"I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch," Trump said in an interview with NBC News. "But you still have to be tough."

Trump said he had personally contacted state and local officials following the incident, saying he spoke with the governor and mayor and had “great conversations,” but later saw them publicly criticizing the situation “as though a call wasn’t made.”

The president has been in a weeks-long dispute with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey, two Democrats who have strongly criticized his immigration crackdown in the city and denounced the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both 37.

Investigations are ongoing into the Jan. 7 death of Good and the Jan. 24 death of Pretti, which occurred during an immigration enforcement surge in the Twin Cities that began more than two months ago.

Trump border czar Tom Homan said Wednesday that 700 federal immigration and border patrol agents will be withdrawn from Minneapolis, citing what he called “unprecedented” cooperation from local counties, some of which have agreed to allow Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers to take migrants directly into custody from their jails.

Trump also said that he personally ordered the reduction in the federal immigration enforcement presence, saying the decision came as authorities wait for local officials to release detainees.

"But it didn't come from me because I just wanted to do it. We have— we are waiting for them to release prisoners. Give us the murderers that they're holding, and all of the bad people, drug dealers, all of the bad people,” he added.