"I learned that maybe we need a little softer hand. But you still have to be tough," Trump said in an interview with NBC's "Nightly News."
The statement was in response to a question about what lessons have been learned after the high-profile events in Minneapolis in recent weeks - where two American citizens were shot dead by the immigration agency ICE and the federal Border Patrol.
"We're dealing with really tough criminals," Trump continued to NBC.
Earlier on Wednesday, Border Patrol Commissioner Tom Homan announced that 700 of the approximately 3,000 federal officers recently in the state will be withdrawn “immediately.” The federal force includes personnel from, among others, the immigration agency ICE and the Border Patrol.
According to Homan, local authorities have agreed to work with ICE to transfer detained migrants held in state custody, which has reduced the need for federal personnel on the streets.
At the same time, Homan emphasized that the federal effort itself continues.
"I'm not leaving until we're completely finished," he said.
The events in Minnesota have sparked strong protests among residents and led to an increasingly tense atmosphere.
Facts: Two fatal shootings in Minneapolis
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Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old nurse, was shot and killed on January 24. Authorities say he was shot in self-defense by a Border Patrol agent. However, according to US media analysis of video footage of the incident, he was shot multiple times while lying on the ground after being subdued and disarmed by several agents.
Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three and poet, was shot dead by an ICE agent on January 7 in her car. Authorities say she tried to run over the immigration officers, while critics say analysis of video footage supports that she tried to swerve and leave the scene.
