Who is Stephen Miller? Meet Trumps immigration hawk leading denaturalization and mass deportation plans
Stephen Miller has been a fixture in Donald Trumps orbit for years and is taking on an even larger role to enforce MAGA policies nationwide.
Stephen Miller has been a fixture in Donald Trumps orbit for years and is taking on an even larger role to enforce MAGA policies nationwide.
The known border hawk and longtime Trump aide has had a winding career in Washington working multiple roles on Capitol Hill before heading to the White House.
Touted as Trumps chief immigration policy architect, Miller first joined Trumps campaign team in January 2016 and served the new President-elect through 2020.
Since then, he has advanced conservative policies and kept close ties to MAGA power brokers through his nonprofit, America First Legal.
Now, Miller will serve as Trumps deputy chief of staff for policy, a huge position that will shape the administrations future.
Former White House adviser Stephen Miller speaks before former US president and Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump speaks at a campaign event at McCamish Pavillion on the campus of Georgia Tech in Atlanta, Georgia. Miller is one of the few advisors to have stuck with Trump for the better part of a decade
Miller, 38, is originally from Santa Monica, California, where his conservative roots first began to grow.
He showed an affinity for calling into conservative radio shows and penning articles praising Republicans at an early age, and later studied political science at Duke University.
David Horowitz, a conservative commentator, was an influential political thought leader Miller looked to growing up. Later that connection proved useful when Miller was looking for a job in politics.
After graduating from Duke, Horowitz helped Miller land a job with ex-Rep. Michelle Bachmann, R-Minn., as a press secretary.
After a few years in the office Miller later moved to join the office of former Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., who was later tapped to be Attorney General by Trump.
Former White House aide Stephen Miller tweeted an image of Trumps post-presidency office It included multiple items of memorabilia including a section of the border wall and family photos
Former Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., arrives with his aide Stephen Miller for a news conference April 5, 2011. Miller would work for Sessions until 2016 before departing for the Trump campaign
Former Speaker of the House Paul Ryan and Sessions prepare for an event in 2013. Miller can be seen standing next to Sessions
While in Sessions office Miller was recruited in January 2016 to join then-candidate Trumps campaign to serve as a senior policy advisor.
While on the trail Miller regularly served as a warm-up act for the GOP candidate - a role he would later continue on future campaigns for the president-elect.
He is credited with penning Trumps 2016 Republican National Convention acceptance speech.
When Trump was in the Oval Office, Miller continued to serve as a speechwriter and senior advisor.
One of the few advisors to serve Trumps entire administration from 2017 - 2021, the conservative staffer was a driving force behind many of the presidents immigration policies.
Constructing the wall along the U.S.-Mexico border, separating migrant family units arriving at that border and banning terrorists from entering the U.S. - particularly individuals from majority-Muslim nations - were all Trump-era policies influenced by Miller.
White House Counselor to the President Kellyanne Conway and Senior Advisor for Policy Stephen Miller wait for the arrival of U.S. President Donald Trump for a meeting on cyber security in the Roosevelt Room at the White House January 31, 2017 in Washington, D.C.
From left, Senior Advisor to the President of the United States Jared Kushner, Senior Advisor to the President Stephen Miller, and counselor to President Hope Hicks walk to board Marine One with President Donald Trump at the White House, Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020
Senior Advisor Stephen Miller joins Steve Bannon for an interview in February 2016
Stephen Miller(L) and Sean Spicer, arrive to meet with US President-elect Donald Trump at Trump Tower in New York on January 10, 2017
White House senior policy adviser Stephen Miller (R) waits for the beginning of a parent-teacher conference listening session at the Roosevelt Room of the White House February 14, 2017 in Washington, D.C.
During Trumps first administration Miller met his future wife Katie Waldman, now Katie Miller.
She worked in the Department of Homeland Security before eventually working as communications director for former Vice President Mike Pence.
The two wed in February 2020 and share two sons and a daughter.
After Trumps 2020 election loss, Miller stuck around D.C. and founded the conservative nonprofit America First Legal.
The group has mustered up legal challenges to federal diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, affirmative action, and immigration policies - all top issues for Trump.
Senior Adviser Jared Kushner, policy adviser Stephen Miller, and chief strategist Steve Bannon watch as President Donald Trump talks about an executive memorandum on investigation of steel imports before signing the document in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, April 20, 2017
White House advisor Stephen Miller (L) and Katie Waldman arrive for the State Dinner at The White House honoring Australian PM Morrison on September 20, 2019 in Washington, D.C.
Katie Miller, the wife of former Senior White House Advisor Stephen Miller and their Jackson attend a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee, former President Donald Trump at Lancaster Airport on November 03, 2024
American First Legal brought a lawsuit against Target regarding its radical LGBTQ political agenda.
The group also filed a complaint against home goods supplier Williams-Sonoma for potentially violating equal opportunity employment regulations.
In the past months Miller has joined Trump on the road campaigning, often serving as a surrogate to wind up MAGA-adoring crowds by decrying the terrors of President Joe Biden and Kamala Harris immigration agenda.
His harsh criticisms of immigration policy have long made him an antagonist to the left, who has accused him of being xenophobic.
He’s a despicable human being that is a racist and a xenophobe, and his own family has disowned him, CNN pundit Tara Setmayer said Monday after Miller was announced Trumps deputy chief of staff.
She called him a despicable human being moments after the pick was announced.
Setmayer was referring to Millers estranged uncle who came out against his hardline immigration positions in the previous administration.
And Miller is likely to advocate for even stricter immigration policies after over 10 million migrants have been encountered crossing the southern border, according to congressional data.
The news is triggering Democrats , including CNN pundit Tara Setmayer, who called Miller a despicable human being moments after the pick was announced
In a September post on X responding to Mark Cuban, Miller floated some of the immigration policies that Trumps team wants to implement once the president-elect is sworn in come January.
Miller promised then that there will be a 100 percent perfect deportation rate under Trump.
Deploying Title 42/Safe 3rds/Remain in Mexico/Asylum Bars to achieve a one hundred percent perfect deportation rate at the border, finishing the wall, significantly enhancing criminal penalties for human smuggling and trafficking, and launching a DOD embargo of drug vessels from South America, Miller wrote.
Miller continued: Terminating all of Kamalas expedited entry and parole programs for illegals at the ports and by plane, terminating all Harris-imposed limits on ICE enforcement operations, restoring and expanding the terror travel ban, suspending refugee resettlement, and using 287(g) state and local partnerships in conjunction with federal law enforcement and DOD logistical support to carry out the largest domestic deportation operation in U.S. history.
Former Senior White House Advisor Stephen Miller arrives for a campaign rally for Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump at Lancaster Airport on November 03, 2024 in Lititz, Pennsylvania. Miller would often warm up Trumps crowds at rallies
Miller has been an advisor to Trump since his first White House term
Republican Vice President-elect J.D. Vance confirmed Trumps selection of Miller on X Monday calling it another fantastic pick by the president.
Mark Meadows, Donald Trumps chief of staff from 2020 to 2021, also sent his regards to Miller.
Congratulations to Stephen Miller on his selection as Deputy Chief for Policy — another excellent pick from President Trump who will work tirelessly to deliver on the America First agenda! Meadows wrote on X.
Article III founder Mike Davis also congratulated Miller on the appointment.
Susie Wiles, Stephen Miller, Tom Homan, and Elise Stefanik. Grand slam. And President Trump is only getting started, Davis wrote of the president-elects recent staffing picks.
