Trump says tough deportation policies hurt him after midterms

Midterm losses and enforcement

After Republicans lost ground in the midterm elections, Trump said deportations were one factor that may have hurt his party. He said he believed the policy had gone too far, even as he maintained that his administration’s border measures were justified. Trump praised efforts to close the border and remove people he called “the bad ones.” He also said the administration’s actions affected immigrants who held jobs, a consequence he said had hurt him politically.

Workers caught in deportations

Trump pointed to immigrants working in hotels and other service jobs, including as cleaners, maids, waitresses and landscapers. He described their removal as difficult, especially when people had been contributing through work.

He said some immigrants had lived in the country for 10 or 15 years and proposed negotiating a deal for them. The interview did not specify what terms such an arrangement might include.

Opening to talks with Democrats

Trump said he wanted to pursue an immigration agreement with Democrats after the midterms. He called a deal achievable and said he could avoid insulting Democrats for six months while negotiations took place.