Washington DC - President Donald Trump again hinted at a slight course correction amid the ongoing mass fury at the killing of two US citizens by out-of-control federal immigration agents.

In an interview with NBC News on Wednesday, Trump claimed he had discussed the explosive atmosphere in Minneapolis with local officials.

"I learned that maybe we can use a little bit of a softer touch... But you still have to be tough," he insisted.

The decision to withdraw 700 Border Patrol agents from Minneapolis, announced on Wednesday by so-called "border czar" Tom Homan, was based on his directive, Trump said.

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Homan's presence in Minnesota – where he replaced the widely reviled Customs and Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino – and overall milder tone is believed a response to intense protests and resistance in response to the fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, as well as weeks of terror inflicted on immigrant communities.

Nevertheless, Homan insisted that the occupation would continue, with about 2,000 agents remaining.

"Mass deportations are here, they're coming, we're already breaking records, and we're not going to stop," he told Fox News.

While he called the Minneapolis killings "sad" and admitted they "should have not happened," Trump also gave no indication of backing down.

"I'm going to always be with our great people of law enforcement, ICE, police, we have to back them. If we don't back them, we don't have a country," he told NBC's Nightly News.