Stephen Miller's Promotion Blocks Trump's Immigration Deal
The White House chief of staff's influence makes a bipartisan legalization effort unlikely despite the president's recent comments.
By Simon Bennett ·
Stephen Miller is now the White House chief of staff, a move that solidifies his control over the administration's immigration strategy and complicates President Donald Trump's recent calls for a deal with Democrats.
In an interview with 60 Minutes last week, Trump stated that his immigration policy has been "too tough." He expressed a desire to "work a deal" with Democrats to allow "good people" who work and pay taxes to stay in the country. This statement appeared to signal a potential shift toward a form of legalization, a concept often referred to as amnesty.
The following day, Trump reversed his position. Speaking to reporters at the White House, he declared that "there won't be amnesty" and insisted that his immigration policy had not changed. This pattern of oscillation is consistent with his behavior during the 2024 campaign, where he initially promised automatic green cards for international students before his staff narrowed the scope of the proposal. The administration has since increased enforcement against international students, contradicting the earlier promise.
Trump's shifting stance on immigration stems from a lack of a fixed ideology on the issue. He has acknowledged the economic value of immigrant workers, noting the impact of enforcement on hotels and farms. In June 2025, he posted on social media that his "very aggressive policy" was causing farmers to lose "very good, long time workers." However, within days of those comments, the Department of Homeland Security resumed worksite raids, with then-spokeswoman Tricia McLaughlin calling enforcement a "cornerstone" of the administration's efforts.
Miller serves as the consistent ideological force behind the administration's policies. As the architect of the current enforcement regime, he drives the agenda with a strict nativist viewpoint. Jacob Sullum, writing for Reason, noted that Miller's elevation "seems likely to reinforce the president’s worst instincts." Because Trump is often swayed by polls and shifting impulses, he relies heavily on Miller's guidance to formulate policy.
Even if Democrats gain control of both chambers of Congress and pass a legalization bill, Trump retains the power to veto the legislation. Miller sets the conditions for any potential agreement, a dynamic evident in 2018 when the administration proposed limited legalization in exchange for dramatic cuts to legal immigration. Senator Lindsey Graham, R-South Carolina, observed at the time that as long as Miller was in charge, "we're going nowhere." With Miller now running the West Wing, any future deal will likely carry a steep price and aim to restrict immigration in the long term.
