Donald Trump Donald John TrumpBiden leads Trump by 36 points nationally among Latinos: poll Trump dismisses climate change role in fires, says Newsom needs to manage forest better Jimmy Kimmel hits Trump for rallies while hosting Emmy Awards MORE's immigration pivot was shaped by New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie, according to former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani.

ADVERTISEMENT

Christie has become one of the Trump campaign's chief advisers, Giuliani told NJ Advance Media, and it was Christie who inspired changes to the Republican presidential nominee's immigration stance.

The New Jersey governor called for a more nuanced, practical and humane approach to addressing the nation's 11 million undocumented immigrants, the report said.

Trump has in recent days seemed to back off his initial campaign promise of mass deportations for undocumented immigrants already in the country, saying his administration would instead find a way to work with them.

But there would be no amnesty or pathway to citizenship, Trump said earlier this week, and they would have to pay back taxes.

"When I go through and I meet thousands and thousands of people on this subject, and I've had very strong people come up to me, really great, great people come up to me, and they've said, 'Mr. Trump, I love you, but to take a person who's been here for 15 or 20 years and throw them and their family out, it's so tough, Mr. Trump,' I have it all the time! It's a very, very hard thing," Trump said on Fox News's "Hannity."

Christie aligned himself with the billionaire businessman shortly after ending his own presidential campaign earlier this year. He was reportedly on the short-list to be Trump's running mate, before the businessman eventually chose Indiana Gov. Mike Pence Michael (Mike) Richard PenceMcConnell locks down key GOP votes in Supreme Court fight Momentum growing among Republicans for Supreme Court vote before Election Day Sunday shows preview: Justice Ginsburg dies, sparking partisan battle over vacancy before election MORE.