Donald Trump has quietly sidelined long-time immigration architectStephen Millerafter a series of high-profile missteps, including branding a protester shot dead by federal agents a 'domestic terrorist,' according to current and former White House officials cited byThe Atlantic.
For context, Miller has been the driving force behind Donald Trump's immigration agenda for roughly a decade, from the family separation policy in the former president's first term to this year's push for3,000 daily arrests by Immigration and Customs Enforcement. His influence has long reached deep into the machinery of the Department of Homeland Security, where he was viewed by both admirers and critics as the ideological engine of Trump-era enforcement.
STEPHEN MILLER IS BEING ICED OUT!According to the Dailey Beast Trump has lost all faith in Stephen Miller. This dates back to Minnesota and the backfire of the Immigration policy. Since then Miller has had little face time with Trump.Do you feel sorry for him?Your Thoughts?pic.twitter.com/DxH4ufK7Aj
That engine is now sputtering. Advisers toldThe Atlanticthat Trump has complained Miller 'sometimes goes too far,' a remark that in Washington is as much a personnel signal as a personal gripe. The comment came after Miller publicly described Alex Pretti, a 37-year-old US citizen shot dead by border agents in Minnesota in January, as a 'domestic terrorist.' Trump, 79, notably declined to repeat that language, even as his administration struggled to contain criticism over the second protester death that month.
The shootings of Pretti and Renee Nicole Good triggered protests in Minnesota against Donald Trump's decision to surge federal agents into the state. The unrest coincided with a broader recalibration at DHS, which had begun to soften its posture after fierce opposition to aggressive tactics from both Republicans and Democrats.
The news came after internal enforcement numbers started moving in the opposite direction from Miller's hardline targets. Internal data, reported byThe Atlantic, shows ICE made about 30,000 arrests in March, down from around 36,000 in January. That is roughly a 17 per cent decline and well below the goal of 3,000 arrests a day that Miller is said to have championed.
The retreat has not happened due to a lack of manpower. Last autumn, Miller backed a significant staffing drive that added around 12,000 ICE officers and agents. Even so, the number of migrants being held in detention has dropped from about 70,000 in late January to roughly 60,000 by the end of last month.
Donald Trump is reportedly freezing out Stephen Miller after he devised one of the most glaring missteps of the president’s second term.https://t.co/X8voRXPwRR
People inside the system say those numbers tell only part of the story. One former administration official toldThe Atlantic: 'I think the president knows very, very well what he can go to Stephen for, and what he probably shouldn't tell him if he doesn't want to get an earful.' Another adviser was blunter about Donald Trump's view of his aide, saying: 'The president knows who he is, period.'
On the record, the White House is straining to present a united front. Communications director Steven Cheung insisted 'the president loves Stephen' and added: 'The White House staff respects him tremendously.'
Source: International Business Times UK
