- By Supratik Das
- Fri, 11 Jul 2025 04:52 PM (IST)
- Source:JND
US Marines on the streets of Los Angeles, masked immigration officers at popular restaurants, and sweeping bans on travelers from nearly 20 countries, these are just a few elements of Stephen Miller’s hardline immigration strategy, which has become a cornerstone of Donald Trump’s presidency. In May, Miller set a historic goal for US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) 3,000 arrests a day, three former US officials briefed on the plan said. The action deployed ICE officers into communities, companies, and farms, provoking protests and criticism from Democrats
The surge was so intense that even President Trump reportedly was caught off guard. After a phone call with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, farm raids, hotel raids, and restaurant raids were temporarily suspended, only to start again days later, leaving officials uncertain about how far they could reach. Miller's grip on American immigration policy is unprecedented for a White House staff member. With his hand on the tiller, the administration has:
• Doubled immigration arrests
• Blocked travelers from 19 countries
• Pushed to the limit birthright citizenship guaranteed by the 14th Amendment
• Assisted in winning an estimated 170 billion USD for immigration enforcement
Aside from immigration, Miller has been at the center of Trump's positions on diversity efforts and transgender rights.
Who Is Stephen Miller?
Miller, 39, the Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy, is largely credited with creating America's aggressive crackdown on immigration, pushing policies critics claim push the limits of the Constitution. Born in Santa Monica, California, Miller was imbued with conservative principles early on. During his time at Duke University, he became a national figure when he defended three white lacrosse players accused without basis of rape in 2006. After entering Trump's initial campaign, Miller emerged as one of his most loyal allies when it came to policy, especially in his tenacious and forceful style. "It was difficult to get a word in edgewise," explained one former official. Miller even called senior homeland security officials so repeatedly that they assigned a full-time staffer to deal with him. His direct contact still goes on today. Miller's wife, Katie Miller, was an aide to billionaire Elon Musk during Musk's brief White House tenure earlier this year. She now works directly for Musk but according to sources,
Miller's influence within the White House itself has increased since Trump's initial term. He currently sits as chairman of the White House Homeland Security Council, which means he has sway over domestic security policy and immigration enforcement. In contrast to other areas of the National Security Council, where staff was reduced, Miller's homeland staff remained intact. "He was poised to rock and roll on Day One," sources said to Reuters.
Ex-officials say Miller frequently advocates policies that stretch the law. "He just has a worldview that he is 100% certain of," one Republican official said to Reuters. In one recent X (formerly Twitter) post, Miller cautioned that not passing a huge spending measure would put "the fate of civilization itself" at risk and implored Republicans to hold the line on border security promises. Critics cited by Reuters say Miller's policies are driven by nativism and cruelty instead of solutions that work. Democrats have called him a "far-right white nationalist" over and over again.
Trump, who won the election in part on the promise to end illegal immigration, has referred to Miller as "our star" and says he is responsible for fulfilling one of his firm pledges, enforcement of tough immigration. Even as public dissatisfaction has grown over the aggressive approach, Trump's immigration approval rating fell to 44 per cent in June, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found the White House remains supportive of Miller's agenda. Last week, Trump and Miller appeared together at the launch of a new migrant detention facility in the Florida Everglades, named “Alligator Alcatraz” due to its swampy, wildlife-heavy surroundings. Standing beside Homeland Security Secretary Noem, Trump introduced Miller as the driving force behind America’s largest immigration crackdown in modern history. “Watching what you’ve done, sir, has been one of the honors of a lifetime,” Miller told Trump at the event.
