Trump to tap immigration hardliner Stephen Miller as deputy chief of staff for policy, CNN reports

US President-elect Donald Trump is expected to tap immigration adviser Stephen Miller as White House deputy chief of staff for policy, a CNN reporter posted on X/Twitter on Monday, which would place the architect of Trump's restrictive first-term immigration agenda in a top position.

Miller was a White House senior adviser for policy during Trump's 2017-2021 presidency and the driving force behind the Republican's wide-ranging immigration crackdown.

Policies included construction of a wall on the US-Mexico border, banning people from certain Muslim-majority nations and elsewhere, and a contentious 2018 border policy that separated thousands of migrant families.

According to the Southern Poverty Law Center, Miller played a fundamental role in the implementation of the first Trump administration's travel ban, which prohibited the entry of travelers from seven majority-Muslim countries. 

Vice President-elect JD Vance appeared to confirm the appointment in a post on X, saying "This is another fantastic pick by the president. Congrats @StephenM!"

Reuters could not independently verify the report.

This is another fantastic pick by the president. Congrats @StephenM! https://t.co/2kQCmbcRy3

— JD Vance (@JDVance) November 11, 2024

Trump on immigration

Trump was elected to a second term after promising to deport record numbers of immigrants in the United States illegally, an effort that is expected to draw resources from across the US government but which critics say would be inhumane, costly and ineffective. Overnight, Trump announced that former US Immigration and Customs Enforcement acting director Tom Homan would be appointed "border czar" once he takes office on Jan. 20.

While addressing the Israeli-American Council in September, Trump said he'd reinstate his travel ban to combat rising antisemitism and keep "radical Islamic terrorists out of our country," according to The Post's reporting. 

In his speech, Trump likened pro-Palestinian protestors to "armies of jihadists sympathizers marching through the streets of our cities."