In a noticeable shift, former President Donald Trump appears to be softening his hardline stance on deportation, potentially influenced by First Lady Melania Trump and Chief of Staff Susie Wiles. According to sources cited by the Wall Street Journal, discussions with Melania and Wiles have prompted Trump to reconsider the extent of his immigration policies, steering towards targeting criminals rather than pursuing wide-scale deportations. Melania, a former model who immigrated to the United States in 1996, met Trump in Manhattan two years later. The couple married in 2005, and Melania became a U.S. citizen in 2006. Through her citizenship, she sponsored her parents’ immigration, utilizing chain migration policies. Both Melania and her son with Trump, Barron, hold dual citizenship in the U.S. and Slovenia.

While the First Lady’s office has yet to comment on these developments, Wiles reportedly sees the previous deportation strategy as a potential hurdle for the upcoming 2026 midterm elections. She emphasizes not only the rhetoric but also the execution of immigration operations as key concerns. Meanwhile, the White House has denied any shift in policy. “The Administration’s immigration enforcement agenda remains unchanged,” stated Trump spokesperson Abigail Jackson to the Daily Mail, reinforcing that the primary focus remains on deporting individuals who pose a danger to American communities.

The situation seemed to shift publicly when Tom Homan, the White House border czar, was dispatched to Minneapolis following a tragic incident involving two Americans who were killed during confrontations with immigration enforcement in January. Homan replaced Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who was reassigned after a controversial response to the Minnesota situation. Homan, known for his strong stance on border security, is perceived as a more balanced figure compared to Noem, who controversially labeled a pro-immigration protester killed by enforcement as a domestic terrorist.

Trump, wanting to see less chaos in American cities, abruptly fired Noem just over a month after the tragedy in Minneapolis and announced his nomination of Republican Senator Markwayne Mullin to replace her. The Oklahoma Senator said at his confirmation hearing this week: ‘My goal in six months is that we’re not in the lead story every day.’ Trump has complained to advisers about the bad headlines Noem attracted during her tenure at DHS, people familiar with the matter told the Journal. He specifically asked aides if they were aware of Noem’s contract approval process, which has come under immense scrutiny.

Mullin (pictured) vowed to lawmakers on Wednesday to lead a cooperation effort with local officials and reverse many of Noem’s controversial directives – including one that allowed her immigration officers to force entry into homes without a criminal warrant. Noem saw a dramatic loss of confidence amid the deportation crackdown in Minnesota. A Daily Mail poll conducted by JL Partners in January resulted in Noem’s 33 percent approval rating, and a dramatic rise in her 41 percent disapproval – up from 37 percent in December.

For now, officials familiar say that ICE isn’t moving forward with large-scale high-profile immigrant round-up operations like the ones it conducted in blue cities like Chicago, Washington, DC, Memphis and Minneapolis. Polling backs up the Trump advisers who are telling him to back off his current immigration agenda. The Daily Mail’s January survey found that 53 percent of registered voters want ICE and Customs and Border Protection raids to end. This included nearly one-fifth of Republicans. Overall, 47 percent believe ICE should be disbanded, an uptick from 43 percent in Daily Mail polling from earlier in the year.