Stephen Miller, a key architect of President Donald Trump's anti-immigration policies, is reportedly seeking new ways to target undocumented migrants after the administration was forced to scale back its aggressive enforcement tactics. According to a report by The New York Times, Miller remains influential despite the fallout from Operation Metro Surge in Minneapolis, which resulted in the deaths of two protesters.
The operation, which involved sending federal agents into Democrat-run cities to arrest alleged illegal immigrants, was scaled back after Border Patrol commander Greg Bovino was stood down and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem resigned. However, Miller, who serves as deputy chief of staff for policy and homeland security adviser, has retained his standing with the president. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described Miller as a "trusted and deeply loyal adviser."
Miller backed the same broad approach that led to chaos in Minnesota, including falsely accusing one of the deceased protesters, Alex Pretti, of being a "domestic terrorist." He also set an ambitious target of 3,000 arrests per day for ICE, leading to surges in multiple cities. At a law enforcement conference in Memphis, he told officers to crack down on urban crime "without apology and without mercy."
Following the Minneapolis incident, Miller reduced his media appearances but continued to host calls with national security and immigration officials. He is reportedly pushing for new ways to make life harder for undocumented immigrants and those with legal protections, such as blocking green cards for immigrants who might need public assistance, pressuring Republicans to oppose ICE reforms, and encouraging deportations as a deterrent.
Other methods under discussion include blocking public education funding for children of undocumented immigrants, cracking down on alleged fraud, involving hospitals in reporting on patients, and seeking credit card information to restrict spending. Miller has called for a moratorium on immigration from "Third World countries" until the nation can "heal itself."
However, not all conservatives support Miller's approach. Retiring GOP Senator Thom Tillis criticised him on CNN, calling him "a big problem in this administration" and accusing him of having an "outsized influence on the Cabinet."
