(José Niño, Headline USA) According to an Axios report, White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair privately advised House Republicans on Tuesday to drop the phrase “mass deportations” from their talking points and instead center their rhetoric on the removal of violent criminals, sources with knowledge of the closed door meeting said.
The instruction represents a notable pivot for an administration that built its 2024 campaign around promises of sweeping immigration enforcement. A Politico poll released in January showed that nearly half of Americans view Donald Trump’s deportation efforts as too aggressive, with one in five of the president’s own 2024 supporters sharing that assessment.
Blair made the remarks during a policy listening session at the House Republican retreat in Doral, Florida. He pushed members to highlight the deportation of violent offenders rather than mount a defense of mass removals as a general policy. The recommendation suggests mounting anxiety within GOP circles that Democrats have managed to cast Trump’s immigration agenda as sweeping and indiscriminate.
Nick Fuentes reveals an inside source at DHS has confirmed Mass Deportations are OVER
"Going forward, the mass deportations are OFFICIALLY OVER… Going forward, the only people that will be deported are people with a prior criminal record." 🚨 pic.twitter.com/d18V4vlER7
— 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐝𝐮𝐬 (@ImperiumFirst) March 12, 2026
Following the Axios report, right-wing streamer Nick Fuentes said Wednesday that not only has the White House stopped pushing mass deportations as a political talking point; the administration has abandoned the policy altogether.
“Going forward, the mass deportations are officially over,” Fuentes said. “Going forward, the only people that will be deported are people with a prior criminal record.”
Immigration enforcement has served as a defining issue for the Trump administration and congressional Republicans over the past year. The White House has moved aggressively on enforcement since returning to power. However, the killing of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis this year and accounts of American citizens being swept up in detention have muddied the political waters.
House Republicans have gathered this week to chart their legislative course and craft a plan for defending their majority in the November midterms. Blair also encouraged members to seek out “real Americans” to showcase the successes of the expansive legislative package enacted last summer.
José Niño is the deputy editor of Headline USA. Follow him at x.com/JoseAlNino
