President Donald Trump walked back his comments on immigration Monday. He denied plans for amnesty just days after a television interview suggested he might work with Democrats.
The shift happened fast. On Sunday, Trump told CBS News he would “love” to work with Democrats on the issue. That interview aired on 60 Minutes. It came right before he named Stephen Miller as his new chief of staff. The president appeared to walk that suggestion back on Monday. He did leave the door open for some deals. Those deals would only involve illegal immigrants who work and pay taxes.
Trump spoke to reporters in the White House Brady briefing room. He was joined by UFC president Dana White. The president declared, “There won’t be amnesty.” This response came after a reporter asked about the Sunday interview. According to reports, his policy remains unchanged while the administration continues to focus on the worst of the worst. He told the crowd, “We have a very strong deportation policy. There is no amnesty.”
He focused on removing violent criminals. “We’re getting the murderers out. We’ve gotten most of them out,” Trump said. He noted that other nations “empty their prisons into a country.” He claimed Joe Biden allowed 25 million people to enter. Trump stated that among them were “11,888 murderers.” He said his team has gotten most of those individuals out.
The Sunday comments caused concern among conservatives who favor strong law enforcement. During the 60 Minutes interview, Trump said his deportation policy “was too tough” in the first two years of his term. He added, “I think ultimately that hurt me” in the 2026 midterms. He stated that he would consider a deal granting legal status to certain aliens. That idea sparked the backlash.
According to Daily Signal, the president posted on Truth Social on Saturday. He offered the press secretary job to Dana White. Then on Sunday, he told reporters he was “only kidding.” White addressed the confusion on Monday. “I don’t tell the president no to anything,” White said. He explained that he waited for Trump to speak first. “Every media outlet was calling me,” White said. “I didn’t want to be disrespectful.”
Trump said he is working with organizations to find solutions. These solutions must not involve amnesty. He noted that many illegal aliens entered in violation of the law. But he admitted many have “good jobs now.” “Some of them are even paying taxes,” he added. He emphasized that his team wants to get “the worst of the worst” out first. After that, “we’ll see what happens,” he said.
The president’s team is trying to balance enforcement with pragmatism. He wants to keep the focus on bad actors. Yet he acknowledges the reality of workers in the country. The message is clear on the core issue. “There’s no amnesty, no, no anything,” Trump said. “We keep that, but we focus on the worst of the worst.” The administration will decide the next steps after securing the borders.
