Fox stars dropped “mass deportation” language months ago

Axios reports the Trump White House has urged Republicans "to stop emphasizing ‘mass deportations’ and instead focus their messaging on removing violent criminals.”

Written by Matt Gertz

Published

President Donald Trump’s Fox News propagandists walked away from describing his immigration policy as “mass deportations” weeks or months before a top White House aide reportedly urged House Republicans to avoid emphasizing the term as part of the GOP’s midterm strategy.

According to a review of the Nexis database, Laura Ingraham hasn’t mentioned the term “mass deportation” on her Fox show since the middle of February. Will Cain and Jesse Watters haven’t used it since late January and early February, respectively. And Sean Hannity and the panel on The Five last referenced the policy by name in early December.  

Trump ran on a campaign pledge to conduct “the largest mass deportation in the history of our Country,” claiming that his administration would “start with violent criminals” but ultimately seek the removal of all undocumented immigrants. 

This dual goal has divided his right-wing supporters since Trump took office, with some falsely claiming that his administration is focused on deporting “the worst of the worst” while others advocate for a much broader ethnic cleansing program that targets immigrants without criminal records and even naturalized American citizens. Earlier this month, for example, popular MAGA podcasters Matt Walsh and Benny Johnson called for mass deportations and denaturalizations of American Muslims in response to the Iran war.

On Tuesday, however, Axios reported that during a closed-door briefing that day aimed at rescuing the GOP’s dismal political standing in the months before the midterm elections, “White House Deputy Chief of Staff James Blair privately urged House Republicans… to stop emphasizing ‘mass deportations’ and instead focus their messaging on removing violent criminals.” 

It is unclear whether this represents a rebranding or a genuine change in the administration’s actual immigration policy agenda, though some on the right immediately expressed consternation over Blair’s reported comment. White House “border czar” Tom Homan has stressed that “mass deportations will continue” since taking on an expanded role following the highly-publicized killings of Minneapolis residents Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal immigration officers in January.

But many of Fox’s right-wing hosts haven’t used the phrase “mass deportation” on their programs in weeks or even months, according to a Media Matters review of the Nexis database. Their abandonment of the term coincides with the killings of Good on January 7 and Pretti on January 24, and the resulting collapse in public support for the Trump administration’s immigration policy. 

Curiously, in some cases, the most recent time a Fox host referenced “mass deportation,” they stressed that the policy is popular.

Select a Fox host

  • Laura Ingraham

    From the February 12, 2026, edition of Fox News' The Ingraham Angle.

    Ingraham last described Trump’s immigration policy as “mass deportation” on her Fox show on February 12.

    “Now in 2024, Americans overwhelmingly voted for mass deportations, but to Democrats, any and all deportations are immoral,” she said.

    Ingraham subsequently hosted Homan, who stressed that Trump’s mass deportations would continue.

    “Let me be clear, mass deportations will continue, and we’re not rolling back,” he said. President Trump promised mass deportations and that's exactly what American people are going to get. We're going to enforce immigration law without apology.”

    “If you're in this country illegally, we're coming for you,” Homan concluded.

  • Jesse Watters

    From the February 2, 2026, edition of Fox News' Jesse Watters Primetime

    Watters last mentioned “mass deportations” on his Fox show on February 2, stressing their popularity.

    The host criticized celebrities who opposed ICE at the Grammy Awards, saying, “They would rather be popular in California than right in the United States. Americans support deporting people illegally by two to one.”

    Watters added: “So, if you're watching the Grammys and are thinking, ‘oh man, these mass deportations, they are divisive, Trump better back off,’ No! This is the playbook.”

    He similarly criticized anti-ICE protesters as outside the norm on January 29, saying, “Most of the country doesn't support this. They support mass deportations.”

    “There are disagreements over the tactics, yes, but the mission, a majority of the country supports removing illegals, especially criminals, not protecting them,” he continued.

    Watters had also stressed broad public support for “mass deportations” on January 27.

    After highlighting Democratic opposition to ICE, Watters commented: “Democrats are digging themselves a grave. Trump was elected with a mass deportation mandate, and polls have been clear since day one.”

    He aired a CNN segment highlighting polling shortly after Trump’s inauguration that showed majority support for deporting all immigrants, then added: “It's been a year and not much has changed. A new poll has 52 percent of the country supporting mass deportations, 52 to 42.”

    While Watters spoke, on-screen text read, “The country supports mass deportations.”

    From the January 27, 2026, edition of Fox News' Jesse Watters Primetime

  • Will Cain

    From the January 28, 2026, edition of Fox News' The Will Cain Show

    Cain last referenced “mass deportation” on his Fox show on January 28.

    The host contrasted a Swedish plan to “pay refugees $37,000 to go home” with the president’s agenda.

    “Maybe it'll work, maybe it won't,” he said of the Swedish policy. “We’ve seen self-deportation here in America. But whether or not it's self-deportation or mass deportation, President Trump pointed out to me yesterday, this is hard, much harder than inflation. Getting illegals out of America is hard.”

  • Sean Hannity

    From the December 10, 2025, edition of Fox News' Hannity

    Hannity last referenced “mass deportation” on his Fox show on December 10. 

    “Tonight, in addition to bringing down prices, lighting a fire for our economy, the administration is now hard at work securing the country. Now, that includes a mass deportation effort.”

    As Hannity detailed some of Trump’s actions on immigration, on-screen text read, “Trump follows through on mass deportation promise.”

    The following month, in what Hannity billed as Homan’s “first interview since being sent to Minneapolis,” Homan explained that he was there to “set the record straight” due to people saying that his press conference earlier that day indicated that “President Trump's backing off on his promise of mass deportation.” 

    “”That’s just untrue,” he continued. “My message up there was the same message that's been since January 20 when President Trump took the Oval Office: We're going to have a mass deportation, but we're going to prioritize the arrest of criminals and public safety threats.”

    Homan went on to say “if you're in the country illegally, you're not off the table,” concluding, “If anybody thinks that Tom Homan and President Trump isn't serious about immigration enforcement and having a mass deportation, then they weren't paying attention to the press conference.”

    From the January 30, 2026, edition of Fox News' Hannity

  • The Five

    From the December 1, 2025, edition of Fox News' The Five

    A host on the Fox panel show The Five last mentioned “mass deportation” on its December 1 edition. 

    “White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt says the tragic shootings underscore the importance of Trump's mass deportation operation,” host Dana Perino said after an Afghan national shot two National Guard members, killing one, in Washington, D.C.

    She then aired a clip of Leavitt saying in part, “It is more important than ever to finish carrying out the president's mass deportation operation.”