Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Stephen Miller once said fighting immigration was all he cared about: 'I don't have anything else. This is my life'

White House aide also described as 'singularly focused on how to get people out of the country'

Oliver O'Connell
New York
Saturday 22 February 2020 17:35 EST
Comments
Stephen Miller's uncle says Trump's immigration rhetoric 'demonises asylum seekers & stirs racist hatred'

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

During a 2019 White House meeting on asylum and immigration policy, senior policy advisor Stephen Miller said that limiting asylum in the US was all that mattered to him.

In an extended profile on Mr Miller published in The New Yorker, the vehemently anti-immigrant, alleged white nationalist, reportedly said: “I didn't mean to come across as harsh. It's just that this is all I care about. I don't have a family. I don't have anything else. This is my life.”

Mr Miller was engaged to Katie Waldman, vice president Mike Pence’s press secretary, at the time of the meeting. Ms Waldman and Mr Miller married at the Trump International Hotel over Presidents’ Day weekend this year.

The meeting at which he made the comments is said to have included representatives from the departments of state, homeland security and justice.

On the agenda was a new policy to limit asylum seekers from settling in the US by forming agreements with Central American countries that would force them to settle there instead.

Mr Miller is the face of the Trump administration’s harsh line on asylum and immigration.

He has a hand in all related policies, including family separation at the border and the travel ban.

Giving credence to the latest account of Mr Miller’s obsession with immigration, in August 2019, The Washington Post quoted a senior administration official as saying that Mr Miller is “singularly focused on how to get people out of the country”.

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in