President Donald Trump has made a mess of what was one of his strongest policies in winning the presidential election in 2024. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem’s SWAT team approach to deportation created mass disturbances and protests that resulted in deadly violence. Trump’s approval on the issue has collapsed, along with Hispanic voting support.

The background to this turmoil was Trump’s key mistake — making the announcement early on that he would deport all illegal immigrants, tens of millions of them. A practical alternative would have been to tell the public — preferably in a major TV appearance — that his administration would arrest and deport only criminal illegal immigrants because of the large number that had poured across former President Joe Biden’s open borders.