Stephen Miller’s appointment as chief of staff draws sharp criticism

President Donald Trump announced Friday that Stephen Miller, a longtime defender of Trump and the MAGA movement, will replace Susie Wiles as White House chief of staff.

A White House official said the appointment is intended to make the administration more coordinated in carrying out Trump’s policies and advancing the populist movement associated with MAGA.

The choice was welcomed by some prominent conservatives but drew fierce criticism from Democrats and other opponents. Michigan senator-elect Abdul El-Sayed called Miller a “broken man” and accused him of stoking anger and fear, using immigration enforcement as a political weapon, and contributing to deaths.

House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries described Miller as a dangerous xenophobe and extremist, adding that he should have no place in government. Senator Dick Durbin said Miller helped design Trump’s mass deportation campaign, which Durbin argued voters had rejected, and called the appointment evidence that Trump had learned nothing.

Republicans Against Trump, a group that describes itself as pro-democracy, warned that the country’s situation would get much worse.

Miller has taken a number of positions and roles that have made him a target of criticism on the left. Three in particular help explain the strong reaction to his promotion.

The travel restrictions

In January 2017, Trump issued an executive order called “Protecting the Nation from Foreign Terrorist Entry into the United States.” Critics, including Kamala Harris, called it a “Muslim ban.” The order temporarily restricted entry from several countries associated with Islamist terrorism, including Iran, Iraq, Libya, Syria, and Yemen.

Miller was reportedly involved in developing the order and was described by some media outlets as its architect. He also defended it in interviews with major television networks.

In an interview days after its release, Miller argued that the government should prioritize applicants who did not hold bigoted or violent views toward people because of their race, sexual orientation, or other characteristics.

The order and later versions faced multiple legal challenges. The Supreme Court upheld its third iteration in 2018. The effort reflected Miller’s willingness to challenge longstanding approaches to immigration.

A push for more arrests

Miller continued to work on immigration and border policy during Trump’s second term, including as the president’s homeland security adviser.

People familiar with a May 2025 meeting at Immigration and Customs Enforcement headquarters said Miller criticized officials for making too few arrests. He reportedly urged agents to aim for 3,000 arrests of people in the country illegally each day.

Miller later discussed the target publicly, saying Trump wanted ICE to make at least 3,000 arrests daily and would keep pressing to increase the figure. He said the goal was to remove people who had entered the country during the Biden administration.

The target underscored Miller’s commitment to mass deportation. It also drew attention from his critics, including a federal judge appointed by Joe Biden, who referred to the figure while ruling against expedited deportations for immigrants with parole status.

Using the courts

After the 2020 presidential election, Miller co-founded America First Legal, a conservative legal group. The organization says it works to defend the Constitution and represent the interests of the American people.

At the time, Miller argued that conservatives should use the legal system to challenge actions by the left, saying that their reluctance to do so was over.

The group has won several legal cases. It obtained a judgment for a female student who sued Fairfax County Public Schools over bathroom and pronoun policies, and won a settlement for parents challenging race-based admissions policies in the School District of Philadelphia. It also helped secure the reinstatement of Ohio Northern University professor Scott Gerber after he was apparently dismissed following criticism of diversity, equity, and inclusion policies.

Miller left his position at America First Legal when he joined Trump’s second administration in January 2025.

Deputy White House press secretary Lauren Bis said Miller had played an important role in advancing Trump’s America First agenda from the beginning. She credited him with leading the administration’s crime initiatives, deregulation efforts, energy policies, campaign against drug cartels, and border enforcement, and said he would continue that work as chief of staff.