Stephen Miller Set to Become Trump’s Chief of Staff After Shaping Immigration Policy

A new White House role

Miller is scheduled to take over as White House chief of staff on Monday. He has been a central figure in the administration’s immigration agenda during both of Trump’s terms.

The appointment follows major Republican losses in the midterm elections. Democrats are planning broad investigations into the administration, including its immigration enforcement policies.

Policies from Trump’s first term

Miller helped develop and publicly defend an executive order limiting entry from several Muslim-majority countries. The policy prompted protests across the United States and legal challenges; the Supreme Court upheld a third version in 2018. He also supported penalties for legal immigrants who received public benefits and proposals to make citizenship harder to obtain.

Expanded arrests and deportations

In Trump’s second term, Miller pressed Immigration and Customs Enforcement to make at least 3,000 immigration arrests daily. In May 2025, he publicly called for a sharp increase, putting pressure on ICE leaders and extending enforcement beyond immigrants convicted of serious crimes.

The wider effort expanded enforcement in communities, workplaces and immigration courts. Detentions of immigrants with no criminal history rose sharply, while increased ICE activity prompted protests nationwide. Miller has also backed more deportations to third countries, including African nations, even when those deported had no citizenship or family ties there.