Oklahoma Republican governor says Trump is getting ‘bad advice’ on immigration policy

OKLAHOMA, UNITED STATES: Oklahoma Republican Governor Kevin Stitt criticized parts of the Trump administration’s immigration policies. He said Americans do not want to deport “every single non‑US citizen.”

Stitt made the remarks during a CNN interview with Dana Bash after the 37‑year‑old Alex Pretti was shot and killed by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on Saturday, January 24.

Kevin Stitt asks for real solutions on immigration reform

During his appearance on CNN’s 'State of the Union', Kevin Stitt called the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti a “real tragedy” and urged President Donald Trump to pursue further immigration reform to address ongoing unrest linked to federal enforcement in Minnesota.

The governor said, “President Trump closed the border, promised to get violent criminals out of our country. And I think everybody agrees with that.”

But he added that Americans now question the broader goals of immigration policy. He said, “But now Americans are asking themselves, what is the endgame? What is the solution? And, you know, we believe in federalism and state rights, and nobody likes feds coming into their state.”

Stitt continued, “And so, what’s the goal right now? Is it to deport every single non-US citizen? I don’t think that’s what Americans want. We have to stop politicizing this. We need real solutions on immigration reform."

Kevin Stitt stresses calm amid chaotic situation in Minnesota

When host Dana Bash asked if he thought Donald Trump should pull ICE agents out of Minnesota in response to the shooting, Stitt replied, “Well, I think that the president has to answer that question. He is a dealmaker, and he’s getting bad advice right now. The president needs to tell the American people. What is the solution? How do we bring this to conclusion? And I think only the president can answer that question because it’s complicated."

Stitt reiterated, "We have to enforce federal laws, but we need to know what is the endgame? And I don’t think it’s to deport every single non-US citizen."

The Oklahoma Republican also suggested that the administration should focus on immigration outcomes by encouraging private companies to hire Americans and penalizing employers who hire non‑American workers.

“Don’t give them US citizenship, but if you’re going to have an employer-employee relationship, we should be fixing that instead of politicizing this. And right now, tempers are just going crazy. And we need to calm this down,” he said.

White House says Trump has kept his promise of mass deportation

White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson said President Donald Trump has kept his promise "to carry out the largest mass deportation operation of criminal illegal aliens."

Jackson highlighted that the effort continues in states like Minnesota, where ICE officers have removed people with convictions for violent crimes despite violent resistance and false attacks on federal agents. Jackson added. "Just yesterday, an officer had his finger bitten off by a radical left-wing rioter."

Trump also posted on Truth Social, calling on Democratic politicians to work with federal authorities to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens. In one post, he wrote that his administration is “standing by, and waiting for any Democrat to do the right thing, and work with us on these important matters of MAKING AMERICA SAFE” and encouraged collaboration with local leaders on enforcement.