Stephen Miller’s Promotion Dims Hopes for 2026 US Immigration Deal
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Nov 15
Stephen Miller’s Promotion Dims Hopes for 2026 US Immigration Deal
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Nov 15
Summary
Democrats say prospects for an immigration bargain with the Trump administration have weakened after Stephen Miller was elevated to White House chief of staff, despite earlier outreach from Trump and DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Miller’s rise matters because he is widely seen as the architect of Trump’s hard-line deportation agenda and still has deep influence over DHS through allies, limiting how far Mullin can pursue softer positions.
Trump had said after the Nov. 3 midterms that his policies were “too tough” and floated legal status for some undocumented workers who have been in the U.S. 10 to 15 years, but he later said policy “hasn’t changed.”
House Democrats, buoyed by their Nov. 3 landslide, are still preparing legislation and oversight to curb ICE and claw back enforcement funding, while some Trump officials push tougher workplace raids that could anger business allies.