President Donald Trump said his administration would send federal immigration enforcement teams into U.S. cities only if mayors or governors request help, saying local leaders must “ask” and “say please” before federal authorities intervene.
Trump made the comments in an interview with NBC News anchor Tom Llamas that aired as part of “NBC Nightly News.”
When asked whether there was a shift in immigration enforcement after recent operations, Trump said, “One thing I say to my people. You know, we do a good job, we don’t get credit for it. I say they have to ask, and they have to say please.” When Llamas asked who must make the request, Trump said, “The mayor or the governor.”
Trump said he did not want federal authorities entering cities without consent from state or local leaders. “I don’t wanna go and force ourselves into a city, even if their numbers are terrible,” he said.
NOW – Trump says he is adjusting his mass deportations policy to only go into cities if the mayors or governors "ask" and "say please," adding, "I don't want to go and force ourselves into a city, even if their numbers are terrible." pic.twitter.com/xji3FfEl42
— Disclose.tv (@disclosetv) February 5, 2026
Trump said Louisiana Governor Jeff Landry had contacted him to request assistance in parts of the state. “I got a call from Jeff Landry, governor of Louisiana. He said, ‘We have a big problem. Could you go in and help us with — with,’” Trump said, referring to “certain sections of the state.” Trump said federal authorities had carried out operations in Louisiana after that request.
The president said his administration was considering enforcement actions in five additional cities but would only proceed if invited. “We have five cities that we’re looking at very strongly. But we wanna be invited,” Trump said. He added that federal officials might also contact governors to ask whether they wanted assistance.
Trump said federal involvement could reduce crime in cities, including Chicago. “We could straighten out the crime in Chicago,” he said, adding, “We’ve already brought it down 25% just by being there,” though he did not cite data in the interview.
Trump also cited Washington, D.C., as an example of federal action. “We took over 2,000 hard-core criminals out of Washington, D.C.,” he said. “If we didn’t do that — 2% of the people create 90% of the crime.” He said the removals resulted in “a safe city.”
Trump said he had also been asked by people in San Francisco to delay federal intervention. “San Francisco said, ‘Please, we have a Democrat mayor. He’s trying very hard. Would you — friends of mine that live there. It’s got crime problems. Would you let him do the job and not come in?’” Trump said. He said he responded, “Look, I can do it much quicker, much faster.”
The interview covered immigration enforcement, crime, the economy, artificial intelligence and the Federal Reserve, according to NBC News.
Federal immigration enforcement is carried out by agencies within the Department of Homeland Security and typically involves coordination with state and local authorities. Local governments are not required to participate in federal immigration operations unless they enter into specific agreements.
Trump said during the interview that illegal border crossings were at “historic lows,” responding to a question from Llamas about immigration enforcement. He credited his administration’s policies for the decline.
