Leading Anti-Immigration Policies Since the First Term
"Ordered Immigration Authorities to Arrest 3,000 People a Day"
Ideological Rhetoric Displayed in Kirk's Eulogy
Steven Miller, Deputy Chief of Staff at the White House, is holding a press conference at the White House on the 5th of last month (local time). Photo by UPI News Agency
"He is the prime minister. Except for certain areas like national security and finance, there is virtually no aspect of domestic policy in which he is not involved."
Steve Bannon, who served as Chief Strategist during Donald Trump's first term and continues to wield significant influence as a leading conservative voice in the second term, made this assessment of Steven Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff (age 40). In the United States, where there is no official prime minister, this means he is effectively the 'de facto prime minister' involved in the overall administration of state affairs.
"He Also Led the 'Zero Tolerance' Principle During the First Term"
According to the Financial Times (FT) of the United Kingdom on October 4, Deputy Chief of Staff Miller is now considered the most powerful non-elected official in the Donald Trump administration. He serves as both Deputy Chief of Staff and Homeland Security Advisor to President Trump, and is widely known as the 'architect of America's restructuring plan.'
The most prominent example is his anti-immigration policy. Deputy Chief of Staff Miller has established the theoretical foundation for anti-immigration policies and has presented various methodologies to lead these policies. He was in charge of immigration policy during the Trump administration's first term, and his authority has become even more powerful in the second term.
During Trump's first term, he served as Senior Advisor and Speechwriter at the White House, implementing a ban on entry into the United States for citizens of several Muslim-majority countries. In 2018, he enforced a 'zero tolerance' policy against illegal immigrants. However, during the first term, figures such as Secretary of Homeland Security John Kelly and other 'adults in the room' intervened to prevent excesses. Now, it is said that even these checks are absent.
He is also known as the person who ordered Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) to arrest 3,000 people per day. In May, Miller, together with Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem, summoned senior immigration enforcement officials in Washington and pressed them for results. At this meeting, he set a daily arrest quota of 3,000 people, which is about four times higher than the quota at the beginning of the second term.
His presence within the administration is also significant. According to the Washington Post (WP), Deputy Chief of Staff Miller is known to sit at the head of the conference table in the White House's Roosevelt Room. WP also reported that he is deeply involved in the issue of controlling the capital's police force, including in Washington, D.C.
In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described Miller as "the advisor President Trump has trusted most for nearly a decade," adding, "President Trump has absolute confidence in his leadership."
Immense Power of Words... Will Conservatives Rally?
Meanwhile, at a memorial service held last month following the death of young conservative activist Charlie Kirk, Deputy Chief of Staff Miller's eulogy revealed his deep animosity toward left-wing groups. Kirk's death was seen as a potential rallying point for the scattered 'MAGA' (Make America Great Again) movement.
Kirk was shot and killed on October 10 during a face-to-face debate event hosted by the conservative group Turning Point USA on a university campus in Utah. Twenty-two-year-old Tyler James Robinson was arrested as the perpetrator.
At the memorial service, Deputy Chief of Staff Miller emphasized, "You do not know what kind of dragon you have awakened," and "You do not know how determined we are to defend this civilization, the West, and the Republic."
The Atlantic commented, "President Trump's camp was described as the absolute good, while the opposition was depicted as the absolute evil. The core message was that the former is destined to completely destroy the latter."
There are concerns that, given the weight and power of Deputy Chief of Staff Miller's words, the impact could be significant.
FT evaluated, "Other eulogies also claimed that President Trump's political opponents were responsible for Kirk's assassination, but Miller's remarks carried particular weight," adding, "He has the power to turn the anger of the conservative camp into the 'thunder of righteous action.'"
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