Donald Trump Criticizes Stephen Miller Over Mass Deportations

President Donald Trump privately criticized Deputy White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, stating that the administration's aggressive immigration crackdown had "gone too far." The shift in tone followed complaints from First Lady Melania Trump, who informed the president that people she knew, including Amanda Ungaro, were being arrested and deported.

Stephen Miller, the chief architect of the immigration strategy, pushed for high daily arrest quotas and raids at workplaces such as Home Depot and a Hyundai Motor factory. These policies resulted in nearly a million arrests and deportations, including more than 500 citizens. While Miller advocated for the campaign, other officials including Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and Border Czar Tom Homan expressed concerns that the tactical approach had become a political liability.

This internal rift coincided with significant Republican losses in the November 3 midterm elections, which saw Democrats seize control of both the House and Senate. Contributing factors to the GOP losses included a war with Iran and national backlash following the January 2026 fatal shootings of Renee Good and Alex Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis. In the aftermath of those shootings, President Trump fired Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem after she defended the federal officers.