Trump says mass deportation of 'terrific' undocumented immigrants can wait
In his first on-air interview since winning the election, President-elect Donald Trump on Sunday told CBS mass deportation of undocumented immigrants who do not have criminal records is not high on his agenda.
"What we are going to do is get the people that are criminal and have criminal records, gang members, drug dealers," he said, a project he estimates will remove two or three million people. Then, he will secure the border. Only once both those goals are achieved and "after everything gets normalized," Trump said, would he make a determination on whether to pursue mass deportation of the eight to nine million undocumented immigrants who would remain in the United States. Trump called those other immigrants "terrific people," a marked change in tone from his past suggestions that most undocumented immigrants are criminals.
In the same conversation, Trump indicated he would be fine building a border fence instead of a border wall in some places along the U.S. border with Mexico, an apparent contrast from his previous description of a "big, beautiful, powerful wall" with a "big, beautiful door." However, this vision is more in line with what critics left and right have long said about construction practicalities.
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
 
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Watch the full clip below, or the entire interview when it airs Sunday evening on CBS. Bonnie Kristian
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
- 
 Daylight Saving Time: a Spanish controversy Daylight Saving Time: a Spanish controversyUnder the Radar Spain’s prime minister has called on the EU to remove biannual clock changes in Europe 
- 
 Quiz of The Week: 25 – 31 October Quiz of The Week: 25 – 31 OctoberQuiz Have you been paying attention to The Week’s news? 
- 
 The week’s best photos The week’s best photosIn Pictures A monstrous parade, a hungry tortoise, and more 
- 
 Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariff Senate votes to kill Trump’s Brazil tariffSpeed Read Five Senate Republicans joined the Democrats in rebuking Trump’s import tax 
- 
 Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICE Border Patrol gets scrutiny in court, gains power in ICESpeed Read Half of the new ICE directors are reportedly from DHS’s more aggressive Customs and Border Protection branch 
- 
 Shutdown stalemate nears key pain points Shutdown stalemate nears key pain pointsSpeed Read A federal employee union called for the Democrats to to stand down four weeks into the government standoff 
- 
 Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan ad Trump vows new tariffs on Canada over Reagan adspeed read The ad that offended the president has Ronald Reagan explaining why import taxes hurt the economy 
- 
 NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footage NY attorney general asks public for ICE raid footageSpeed Read Rep. Dan Goldman claims ICE wrongly detained four US citizens in the Canal Street raid and held them for a whole day without charges 
- 
 Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East Wing Trump’s huge ballroom to replace razed East WingSpeed Read The White House’s east wing is being torn down amid ballroom construction 
- 
 Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 more Trump expands boat strikes to Pacific, killing 5 moreSpeed Read The US military destroyed two more alleged drug smuggling boats in international waters 
- 
 Trump demands millions from his administration Trump demands millions from his administrationSpeed Read The president has requested $230 million in compensation from the Justice Department for previous federal investigations