Who is Stephen Miller? Trump names immigration hardliner as deputy chief of staff for policy

Stephen Miller, the architect of some of the Trump administration’s most vicious immigration policies, has been tapped for a powerful new role in the White House. Reports suggest President-Elect Donald Trump has named Miller as his deputy chief of staff for policy, solidifying the hardliner’s influence as a major voice onthe restrictive immigration measures in his second term.

At just 39 years old, Miller is one of the most polarizing figures in American politics. He has been a constant presence in the president’s inner circle since the 2016 campaign.

Miller had advocated for blowing up migrants with drones, which he denied, as well as plenty more incidents. Others, like the former defense secretary Mark Esper, claim Miller had proposed beheading former Islamic State leader Abu Bakr al-Baghdadi, dipping it in pig’s blood and parading it around “to warn other terrorists”.

Democrats called for him to resign in 2019 after he was found to have promoted white nationalist views in emails.

“Stephen Miller has stoked bigotry, hate and division with his extreme political rhetoric and policies throughout his career,” the letter stated. “The recent exposure of his deep-seated racism provides further proof that he is unfit to serve and should immediately leave his post.”

He also has very strong links to Project 2025, the plan to massively overhaul US politics and laws to be massively more right-wing.

Who is Stephen Miller?

Born to a liberal Jewish family in Santa Monica, California, Miller’s political journey began in high school, where he gained attention for his conservative views. His transformation from a child of Democrats to a staunch Republican was sparked by reading a book by the National Rifle Association’s CEO. This early conversion set the stage for a career defined by his hardline conservative ideology.

After graduating from Duke University, where he honed his skills as a conservative provocateur, he quickly made his way to Capitol Hill. There, he worked for several Republican lawmakers, including Michele Bachmann and Jeff Sessions, before joining the Trump campaign in 2016.

As a senior advisor to Trump, Miller has been the driving force behind some of the administration’s most contentious policies. He was instrumental in crafting the travel ban on several Muslim-majority countries, advocating for the zero-tolerance family separation policy, and pushing for drastic reductions in refugee admissions.