- The interview aired November 8, 2026.
- Jeffries proposed restoring protections for DACA and TPS recipients as a starting point.
- A congressional source suggested slowing or pausing deportations as a test of seriousness.
President Donald Trump said November 9 that his deportation policy had not changed, after expressing interest in an immigration deal with Democrats. Enforcement remains in place.
Homeland Security Secretary Markwayne Mullin said the administration would not allow amnesty and argued that reform would require bipartisan support. No agreement exists.
The comments leave immigrants facing removal, DACA and TPS recipients, and employers of longtime immigrant workers without new eligibility rules. Any change to DACA status would be up to Congress, Mullin said.
He also said Trump had told him to begin working with Democrats and meet at some point. Mullin said the two had not discussed specific policy changes. No meeting has been set.
Trump offered examples, not terms, for a possible deal
In a 60 Minutes interview that aired November 8, 2026, Trump said his deportation approach might have been too tough. Asked about removals, he said, “I think it might be too tough,” Mr. Trump said when asked about the deportations.
He also said he would “love to do something on immigration” with Democrats, who will control both chambers of Congress in the new Congress. The interview did not produce a proposed bill.
Trump suggested an agreement could cover some people who had lived in the United States for 10 or 15 years. He mentioned jobs in landscaping and hotels, and also referred to people paying taxes.
Those examples are not eligibility rules. Trump gave no terms for a deal, and no legal pathway or criteria have been described. He also said at the White House that he opposed blanket legalization, while repeating that his policy had not changed.
A congressional source suggested a pause as a test of seriousness
A congressional source familiar with the discussions suggested Trump could show he was serious by slowing or pausing deportations nationwide. That was a proposed test, not an announced Democratic demand or an implemented change.
House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries said talks should begin by restoring protections for DACA recipients, people who came to the United States as children, and Temporary Protective Status recipients, who can stay and work after fleeing natural disasters or armed conflicts. He also said reforming Immigration and Customs Enforcement and ending mass deportation should be part of discussions.
Sens.-elect James Talarico of Texas and Annie Andrews of South Carolina have said they want to work with Trump on reform. Claire Valdez, a newly elected Democrat representing part of Brooklyn and Queens, took a different position, saying Democrats had a mandate to abolish ICE.
The proposals span restoration of protections, changes to enforcement and a call to eliminate the agency. They do not amount to a shared negotiating platform.
Miller’s promotion sharpened the divide over enforcement
Democrats won control of the House and Senate in the new Congress. Trump named Stephen Miller, the architect of his administration’s enforcement approach, to replace White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer criticized the appointment after Trump’s interview: “That’s not a course correction. That’s a promotion.” Mullin had praised Miller as an “excellent choice” in a social media post the previous week.
Democrats have said they plan oversight of ICE and the Department of Homeland Security. The next developments to watch are that congressional scrutiny and whether Trump’s call to work with Democrats leads to talks. No terms or meeting date have been set.
