Inside Trump adviser Stephen Miller's grand plan to 'clean house' at the DHS


White House senior adviser Stephen Miller is reportedly looking to clean house in the Trump administration.
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen's resignation on Sunday came as Miller has been pushing for a broader shakeup, looking to install more immigration hardliners throughout the administration, Politico reports. He reportedly played in role in Ronald Vitiello's ICE director nomination being pulled, which Trump said was because the administration wants to go in a "tougher" direction. Nielsen's support for Vitiello was "problematic for her with the president," The New York Times reports.
The report from Politico notes that it's not entirely clear if Miller played a direct role in Nielsen's departure, though CNN reports she was pressured to resign. But a source close to the outgoing DHS secretary told Politico there's "definitely a larger shakeup abreast" being led by Miller, while a former DHS official said Miller is "actively trying to put people who have very different points of view than the current leadership within the agencies" and is essentially looking to "clean house."
Subscribe to The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
For instance, Miller has reportedly been recommending Trump fire the current director of Citizenship and Immigration Services. He has also been making phone calls to mid-level employees throughout the administration to "angrily demand" they do more on immigration, Politico reports, which an official briefed described as "intimidation." If that's the case, it seems to be working, as some officials evidently fear their job will be at risk if "they don't pursue a more aggressive approach to border control."
Miller, who a former White House aide quoted in his book as allegedly saying he "would be happy if not a single refugee foot ever again touched America's soil," has reportedly been gaining more influence in the administration, with The Washington Post reporting that Trump told his advisers that going forward, Miller would be "in charge of all immigration initiatives."
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.
-
5 darkly funny cartoons about Israel blocking aid to Gaza
Cartoons Artists take on forcing famine, avoiding aid, and more
-
The easy elegance of Cap Ferret
The Week Recommends 'Elemental and otherworldly' destination is loved for its natural beauty
-
Volodymyr Zelenskyy: flirting with authoritarianism?
Talking Point Ukraine's president is facing first major domestic unrest since the Russian invasion, over plans to water down the country's anti-corruption agencies
-
Samsung to make Tesla chips in $16.5B deal
Speed Read Tesla has signed a deal to get its next-generation chips from Samsung
-
FCC greenlights $8B Paramount-Skydance merger
Speed Read The Federal Communications Commission will allow Paramount to merge with the Hollywood studio Skydance
-
Tesla reports plummeting profits
Speed Read The company may soon face more problems with the expiration of federal electric vehicle tax credits
-
Dollar faces historic slump as stocks hit new high
Speed Read While stocks have recovered post-Trump tariffs, the dollar has weakened more than 10% this year
-
Economists fear US inflation data less reliable
speed read The Labor Department is collecting less data for its consumer price index due to staffing shortages
-
Crypto firm Coinbase hacked, faces SEC scrutiny
Speed Read The Securities and Exchange Commission has also been investigating whether Coinbase misstated its user numbers in past disclosures
-
Starbucks baristas strike over dress code
speed read The new uniform 'puts the burden on baristas' to buy new clothes, said a Starbucks Workers United union delegate
-
Warren Buffet announces surprise retirement
speed read At the annual meeting of Berkshire Hathaway, the billionaire investor named Vice Chairman Greg Abel his replacement