President Donald Trump says his administration will take a "softer touch" on immigration even as it forges ahead with the "mass deportation" programme he has championed, USA Today reports.

The statement marks a rhetorical adjustment from a White House that has built its immigration agenda around large-scale removals. It does not, on the reporting available, announce any change to the enforcement programme itself.

What did Trump actually say?

The President used the phrase "softer touch" when describing how his administration intends to handle immigration going forward. At the same time, he confirmed that the policy he has labelled "mass deportation" remains in force.

USA Today frames the two positions as running in parallel: softer language on the one hand, continued mass-removal enforcement on the other.

Who is affected?

The "mass deportation" programme, as described in the report, targets undocumented immigrants in the United States. The headline announcement does not specify new eligibility criteria, quotas, caps or deadlines, and USA Today's reporting does not state that any numerical threshold has changed.

For foreign nationals in the United States without lawful status, the practical message from the report is that enforcement continues. No exemption, deadline extension or relief mechanism appears in the announcement.

Does 'softer touch' mean a policy change?

Based on the report, no. The President's choice of words signals a change in tone rather than a documented change in rules, quotas or procedures. The deportation effort described as "mass deportation" continues.

Readers should treat campaign-style or interview statements as distinct from binding policy. Official changes to US immigration enforcement appear through formal channels: executive orders, Federal Register notices, and announcements from US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).

What should readers watch next?

Immigration observers will look for concrete indicators that either confirm or contradict the "softer touch" language, including:

• Published enforcement statistics from ICE and DHS
• Any executive order or agency notice altering removal priorities
• Statements from the DHS Secretary on operational guidance

Until such documents appear, the operative policy, as reported by USA Today, remains the mass deportation programme. Anyone seeking case-specific information should consult official USCIS and DHS channels or a licensed immigration attorney; Passport File does not provide individual legal advice.