Stephen Miller reportedly wanted to separate every migrant family that crossed the border

Many of the Trump administration's most powerful officials voted in favor of separating migrant children from their parents in 2018, NBC News reports.
Family separation at the border hit its peak in the summer of 2018 after then-Attorney General Jeff Sessions launched the U.S.'s "zero tolerance policy" that prosecuted all immigrants crossing the border, including parents who were then separated from their children. Trump's senior adviser Stephen Miller is known as the architect of that plan, but reportedly had the support of other top officials, two officials tell NBC News.
A month after zero tolerance went into effect, families were still not being split up, and Miller was "furious about the delay," NBC News writes. So he led a meeting with Sessions, former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, Secretary of State Mike Pompeo, and more officials, where he asked them to vote in favor of pushing the policy along. "If we don't enforce this, it is the end of our country as we know it," Miller reportedly said.
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.
The zero tolerance policy ultimately resulted in the separation of nearly 3,000 children from their families, but Miller actually proposed a policy that would split every migrant family at the border, even those who arrived legally and sought asylum. That would've ripped 25,000 more children from their parents. Nielsen reportedly tried to present a moral case against family separation, but when it came down to a vote, "a sea of hands went up" in favor of Miller's expediency, NBC News continues.
Among those invited to the meeting were Vice President Mike Pence, then-Chief of Staff Mark Kelly, and then-White House Counsel Don McGahn. Read more at NBC News.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
Kathryn is a graduate of Syracuse University, with degrees in magazine journalism and information technology, along with hours to earn another degree after working at SU's independent paper The Daily Orange. She's currently recovering from a horse addiction while living in New York City, and likes to share her extremely dry sense of humor on Twitter.
-
October 13 editorial cartoons
Cartoons Monday's political cartoons include Donald Trump's consolation prize, government workers during shutdown, and more
-
Can Gaza momentum help end the war in Ukraine?
Today's Big Question Zelenskyy’s request for long-range Tomahawk missiles hints at ‘warming relations’ between Ukraine and US
-
The Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners being released
The Explainer Triumphant Donald Trump addresses the Israeli parliament as families on both sides of the Gaza war reunite with their loved ones
-
Trump DOJ indicts New York AG Letitia James
Speed Read New York Attorney General Letitia James was indicted as Trump’s Justice Department pursues charges against his political opponents
-
Judge blocks Trump’s Guard deployment in Chicago
Speed Read The president is temporarily blocked from federalizing the Illinois National Guard or deploying any Guard units in the state
-
Trump urges jail for Illinois, Chicago leaders
Speed Read The Texas National Guard begin operations in the Chicago area
-
Bondi stonewalls on Epstein, Comey in Senate face-off
Speed Read Attorney General Pam Bondi denied charges of using the Justice Department in service of Trump’s personal vendettas
-
Court allows Trump’s Texas troops to head to Chicago
Speed Read Trump is ‘using our service members as pawns in his illegal effort to militarize our nation’s cities,’ said Gov. J.B. Pritzker
-
Judge bars Trump’s National Guard moves in Oregon
Speed Read In an emergency hearing, a federal judge blocked President Donald Trump from sending National Guard troops into Portland
-
Museum head ousted after Trump sword gift denial
Speed Read Todd Arrington, who led the Dwight D. Eisenhower Presidential Library and Museum, denied the Trump administration a sword from the collection as a gift for King Charles
-
Trump declares ‘armed conflict’ with drug cartels
speed read This provides a legal justification for recent lethal military strikes on three alleged drug trafficking boats