Who Is Stephen Miller? Trump Loyalist Set To Replace Susie Wiles As White House Chief Of Staff
Stephen Miller, a key architect of Trump's hardline immigration policies, will replace Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff, strengthening his influence over the administration's agenda
US President Donald Trump with the new White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller. (Screengrab)
US President Donald Trump has announced that Stephen Miller, one of his closest advisers and a key architect of his administration’s immigration policies, will replace Susie Wiles as White House Chief of Staff following the Republicans’ devastating defeat in the midterm elections.
Trump announced on Saturday that Wiles would step down from the influential position and transition to the Trump Political Operation. Her deputy, Miller, will take over the role, marking a significant change in the president’s inner circle.
Wiles was Trump’s first appointment following his victory in the 2024 presidential election. She also made history as the first woman to serve as White House Chief of Staff. Although she is leaving the position, she is expected to remain close to the president through her new role.
Miller, 41, has been among Trump’s most influential political allies, particularly on immigration and border security. His appointment places a prominent advocate of the administration’s hardline policies in one of the most powerful positions within the White House.
Here is what to know about Trump’s incoming Chief of Staff.
Who Is Stephen Miller?
Born and raised in Santa Monica, California, Miller grew up in a politically liberal environment but developed strong conservative views during his college years. While studying at Duke University, he became known for his combative political commentary as a columnist for the university’s student newspaper.
He later worked as a congressional aide during the 2010s, where he emerged as an early advocate of stricter immigration restrictions. At the time, his hardline position on immigration was not yet a mainstream view within the Republican Party.
Miller joined Trump’s 2016 presidential campaign and subsequently became a senior adviser and speechwriter during his first administration, which ran from 2017 to 2021.
Following Trump’s defeat in the 2020 presidential election, Miller established America First Legal, a conservative advocacy organisation. The group filed complaints against several companies, including Nike, accusing them of discriminating against white people.
His influence grew further after Trump returned to the White House for a second term. Miller was appointed deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser, giving him a central role in shaping the administration’s immigration and national security agenda.
Miller’s wife, Katie Miller, is also involved in conservative politics. She is a podcaster and previously served as a communications aide during Trump’s first administration.
Stephen Miller’s Role In Trump’s Immigration Crackdown
Miller is widely regarded as one of the principal architects of Trump’s aggressive immigration enforcement agenda during his second term.
He pushed for a significant expansion of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) operations, setting an ambitious target of 3,000 arrests per day. The figure was substantially higher than enforcement levels recorded under previous administrations.
Under his approach, ICE was encouraged to pursue anyone living in the United States illegally, rather than concentrating primarily on individuals with criminal records.
Miller also urged immigration authorities to expand enforcement operations beyond traditional targets. Home Depot locations, where day labourers frequently gather, became prominent sites for ICE arrests after he suggested that the agency should focus on such locations.
His hardline approach attracted further controversy following the fatal shooting of US citizen Alex Pretti by a Border Patrol agent in Minneapolis in January.
Hours after the incident, Miller took to social media and described Pretti as a “domestic terrorist” and “would-be assassin”. However, video footage verified by Reuters showed Pretti holding a cell phone rather than a gun.
Miller subsequently acknowledged that the agents involved in the shooting “may not have been following” protocol.
Miller’s Opposition To Birthright Citizenship
Beyond immigration enforcement, Miller has been a prominent supporter of ending birthright citizenship in the United States.
He strongly criticised the Supreme Court’s ruling rejecting Trump’s proposal to restrict the constitutional right, describing it as “one of the most destructive and outrageous decisions” in the court’s history.
Following the ruling, Miller also announced a ban on “birth tourism”, an effort aimed at preventing foreign nationals from travelling to the United States specifically to give birth and secure US citizenship for their children.