Oil slips below $100 as Trump played down further Iran strikes

In an interview with CBS’ 60 Minutes programme, US President Donald Trump revealed that his immigration crackdown was "too tough", marking a significant retreat from a key aspect of his political agenda following his party's poor performance in the midterm elections. Trump claimed he deserved an "A plus" for limiting illegal border crossings, but felt "hurt" by the widespread deportations.

Despite the Homeland Security Department insisting it was not backing away from the crackdown, Trump acknowledged that immigration had both helped and hurt his fellow Republicans in the midterm elections. The president's admission came as election day polling indicated immigration was the third most important issue for voters, trailing behind the economy and democracy.

Historically conservative states, such as Texas, saw a shift in Latino voters towards the Democratic Party, contributing to the Democratic Party's overwhelming victory in Congress. Trump praised his efforts to close the border and deport criminals but expressed regret over the impact on those with good jobs who had committed only one violation or minor law-breaking.

He also expressed willingness to collaborate with congressional Democrats on immigration, though he did not provide specific details. In a previous interview with 60 Minutes, Trump had claimed his administration's immigration raids had not been aggressive enough. The White House's response to Trump's comments was firm, with a statement vowing the administration would not slow down its efforts to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) also maintained its stance that ICE was not backing away or slowing down. Following the midterm losses, Vice-President JD Vance expressed openness to adjusting the immigration strategy, suggesting they should focus more on businesses hiring illegal labor. However, Trump's recent promotion of immigration hawk Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff signaled no concession from the administration.

DHS officials have been instructed to target around 2,700 arrests of illegal immigrants per day, up from a previous 2,000 daily arrest target. Enforcement sweeps this year led to anti-ICE demonstrations in cities like Chicago, Minneapolis, and Los Angeles. In Minneapolis, two protesters were fatally shot by immigration agents.