Stephen Miller’s Immigration Agenda Has Been Decades in the Making

Many of Donald Trump’s advisers have come and gone over the years, which is hardly surprising given that he built his brand on the catchphrase “You’re fired” as the host of the reality TV show The Apprentice.

When the former reality star turned to politics, he maintained a similar track record of staffing, with several notable exceptions, including Stephen Miller — Trump’s new White House Deputy Chief of Staff. Miller has been a steady presence in the Trump orbit since the 2016 campaign. In turn, he’s been rewarded with ever-increasing sway on the president’s policy portfolio.

Often credited with being the top architect of Trump’s immigration policies, Miller served as a speechwriter and senior advisor in the previous Trump administration. He was an author of key addresses, including Trump’s 2017 inaugural address, which set the tone for his first term, and also devised policies such as Remain in Mexico and the travel ban from Muslim-majority countries.

This time around, Miller is leading the charge on contentious policies such as deportation flights justified by invoking the Alien Enemies Act of 1798, as well as more potential travel bans.

Last week, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) arrested a former graduate student at Columbia University who led negotiations on behalf of pro-Palestine protesters at the school last year, something the Trump administration vowed to crack down on by tackling antisemitism on college campuses. The current immigration approach steered by Miller is one that prioritizes law enforcement and border control over humanitarian concerns raised by Trump’s opposition.

Trump’s immigration policies did not come out of thin air. In fact, Stephen Miller has been talking and writing about the ideas at the core of Trump’s policies for almost two decades.

Collegiate columnist to presidential policy-setter

Miller’s conservative views were well documented in columns that he wrote during his time as a student at Duke University, where he first came on to the national stage. He made a name for himself repeatedly defending Duke lacrosse players accused of raping Crystal Magnum in his columns and on national TV. Magnum just last year admitted she made the whole story up.

Miller’s 2007 farewell column at Duke highlights his deep skepticism toward multiculturalism, arguing that it divides rather than unites. “Inside our borders, the nation of E Pluribus Unum threatens to be fractured across ethnic lines by racial animus and divisive multiculturalism,” he wrote.

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