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You are here: Home / Immigration / Trump Officials Deny They’re Softening on Immigration

Trump Officials Deny They’re Softening on Immigration

May 8, 2026 at 7:18 pm EDT By Taegan Goddard Leave a Comment

“Markwayne Mullin made clear from the start of his tenure as secretary that he wanted the Department of Homeland Security to stay out of the headlines and adopt a quieter approach after a tumultuous year under his predecessor, Kristi Noem,” the New York Times reports. 

“He paused plans to convert industrial warehouses into immigrant detention centers. Immigration agents have been told to stop entering homes without judicial warrants. His department has tried to rebrand Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers as “NICE” officers, at the urging of President Trump.”

“The change in tactics stemmed from fears within the Republican Party that the crackdown could cost them voters in this year’s midterm elections. But the image overhaul has drawn backlash from some ardent Trump supporters who want the administration to dramatically ramp up arrests and broaden its focus beyond immigrants with criminal records.”

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Filed Under: Immigration


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About Political Wire

goddard-bw-snapshotTaegan Goddard is the founder of Political Wire, one of the earliest and most influential political web sites. He also runs Political Job Hunt, Electoral Vote Map and the Political Dictionary.

Goddard spent more than a decade as managing director and chief operating officer of a prominent investment firm in New York City. Previously, he was a policy adviser to a U.S. Senator and Governor.

Goddard is also co-author of You Won - Now What? (Scribner, 1998), a political management book hailed by prominent journalists and politicians from both parties. In addition, Goddard's essays on politics and public policy have appeared in dozens of newspapers across the country.

Goddard earned degrees from Vassar College and Harvard University. He lives in New York with his wife and three sons.

Goddard is the owner of Goddard Media LLC.

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