Stephen Miller is a conservative strategist who designed and implemented some of the strongest immigration policies in Donald Trump’s first and second tenures. He is well known as a strong policymaker against illegal immigration in the US.

Beginnings and Political Inclinations

Stephen Miller was born in 1985 in Santa Monica, California to a Jewish family. He was inclined towards conservative ideology from a young age. At the age of 16, he became concerned about the lack of patriotism in his high school by writing letters to the local newspaper. He believed that Latin American students should only speak English.

After earning a political science degree from Duke University in 2007, Miller began his political journey as a Republican communications advisor in Congress. His name came to the fore when he forcefully defended two Duke University lacrosse players from being implicated in a rape case. The players were later found innocent, and Miller gained recognition in the media and conservative circles.

Strong stand against immigration

In 2009, Miller began working with conservative Senator Jeff Sessions, who was known to be a strong opponent of immigration. Miller ran a major campaign against an immigration reform bill in 2013 and established his image as a strong opponent of “open border policies.”

During the 2016 presidential campaign, he joined Donald Trump’s team and helped strengthen his nationalist and anti-immigration stance. His writing of Trump’s inauguration speech and immigration bans on Muslim-majority countries were part of his thinking.

Power and Policies in Trump Administration

During Trump’s first tenure (2017-2021), Miller took several steps to make immigration policies more stringent:

✅ Family Separation Policy – Children of illegal immigrants were separated from their families.

✅ Muslim Travel Ban – Strict restrictions were imposed on people coming from Muslim-dominated countries.

✅ DACA Repeal – Weakened the protection policies made for Dreamers.

✅ Public Charge Rule – Restrictions were imposed on poor immigrants applying for green cards.

Miller strengthened his status in the White House and also worked as National Security Advisor and Deputy Director of Policy Affairs. When Trump began his second term, Miller’s signatures were already present on executive orders.

Strict Policies in New Executive

Miller gained more power during Trump’s second term and implemented new orders:

➡️ Plan to end Birthright Citizenship – in which children born in America to illegal immigrants will not get citizenship.

➡️ Restoration of Title 42 – Support for border closures and deportations during Covid-19 using public health emergency.

➡️ Action against Sanctuary Cities – Policy to take strict action against cities that provide protection to illegal immigrants.

Opposition and Controversies

Miller’s policies created rapid division in America. Democratic leaders, human rights organizations such as the ACLU and Southern Poverty Law Center consider his policies ‘racist’ and ‘inhumane’. Media houses such as the New York Times and Politico see him as a “shadow president” who is imposing his nationalist ideology on America through Trump.

Miller’s Legacy and the Way Forward

Miller is still a strong pillar of the conservative movement. He created a legal organization, America First Legal, which fights cases against immigration and woke culture. People like Elon Musk are also openly supporting his immigration policies.

But the true impact of his legacy will be seen when we see how long his rules and restrictions have an impact on American policies. Will these policies be aligned with American values ​​or will they be weakened over time? Only time will tell.