President Donald Trump said Wednesday he has learned his immigration enforcement in Minnesota might benefit from “a softer touch,” even as he defended a tough stance on crime and immigration after two U.S. citizens were killed by federal agents in Minneapolis.’

In an interview with NBC News Nightly News anchor Tom Llamas, Trump said the deaths of Alex Pretti and Renée Good last month were tragic and called for improved communication with local officials.

“I learned that maybe we could use a little bit of a softer touch. But you still have to be tough,” Trump said. “We’re dealing with really hard criminals.”

The interview comes as political pressure intensifies over the federal operation in Minneapolis that deployed immigration agents to carry out arrests and enforcement actions. Demonstrations outside the B.H. Whipple Federal Building has drawn national attention and prompted an internal review of tactics.

Trump confirmed he ordered the withdrawal of about 700 federal immigration officers from Minnesota.

“Yes, it did,” he said when asked if the decision came from him, noting it was driven by evolving circumstances on the ground. “But it didn’t come from me because I just wanted to do it.” He added, “We have — we are waiting for them to release prisoners, give us the murderers that they’re holding and all of the bad people, drug dealers, all of the bad people.”

Critics have pushed back on some of Trump’s claims. For example, the president repeated a figure that 25 million undocumented immigrants entered the United States under the previous administration’s policies — a claim fact-checkers have questioned.

Trump also said he had reached out to Minnesota officials about the operation. “I’ve called the people. I’ve called the governor. I’ve called the mayor. Spoke to ’em. Had great conversations with them. And then I see them ranting and raving out there, literally as though a call wasn’t made,” he said.

The enforcement surge and the resulting deaths have sparked criticism from Democrats and some Republicans. Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz and Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey have demanded a more rapid drawdown of federal forces. Walz called the deaths unacceptable and urged broader investigations, while Frey described the presence of thousands of officers as disruptive to public safety and community trust, according to their public remarks.

Advocates for law enforcement have defended the federal operation’s intent to target serious criminals, even as community leaders seek reforms and accountability for the use of force that resulted in the shootings.