Is This the Beginning of the End of Trump's Plan for Mass Deportations?

"The second Trump administration entered office with a theory. President Donald Trump, backed by policy architect Stephen Miller, believed that in a battle of political imagery between camouflaged he-men against leftist protesters, their guys would always win. Law and order would defeat chaos. Those trying to deport immigrants would defeat those trying to protect them. In Minnesota, that theory didn't just hit its limit, it exceeded it. Now Trump and his team are scrambling to cushion their fall as public opinion has turned on them."

"The reaction of elected Republican officials, up to and including Trump, following the Border Patrol killing of Alex Pretti over the weekend has been markedly different from that following the killing of Renee Good, or any other scandalous episode involving immigration enforcement officials thus far. A broad swath of Republican members of Congress have joined Democrats in calling for an investigation into Pretti's killing."

"Trump has removed Border Patrol wannabe-action-star Greg Bovino from his role leading the immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota, while Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem appears to be-at best-in administrative time-out. Trump has taken a suddenly conciliatory tone with Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey after weeks of treating them as useful left-wing foils. It's important not to overstate what's happening. The administration isn't suddenly coming out in support of open borders and abolishing Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and on Tuesday, ICE continued operations in and around Minneapolis."

President Donald Trump and policy architect Stephen Miller built a presidential strategy that relied on projecting law-and-order imagery and aggressive deportation to outmatch leftist protesters and immigrant advocates. That strategy collapsed in Minnesota after the Border Patrol killing of Alex Pretti triggered widespread public outrage and bipartisan calls for investigation. Republican officials shifted tone, removing Greg Bovino from the Minnesota enforcement operation and placing Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in an administrative pause. Trump adopted a conciliatory posture toward Minnesota leaders even as ICE continued operations. The administration signaled a slowdown of its intensified deportation agenda to manage public perception.

Read at Slate Magazine