Stephen Miller’s apparent sidelining is just a smokescreen so he can oversee Trump’s deportation push: report

Stephen Miller , the architect of the president’s mass deportation agenda, has been less visible in recent months, sparking speculation that the president had tired of his hard-line immigration tactics.

In fact, Miller is in the middle of what officials described as a choreographed retreat, moving out of the spotlight while retaining the same influence over U.S.

immigration policy, The Daily Beast reports , citing senior administration sources.

One claimed Mullin made a point to tell Miller “how well he had been doing so far.”
“ Miller and Homan are in lock step,” one of the sources told the outlet.

“It’s almost like a tag team.”
When asked by The Independent about this alleged strategic move, the White House pointed to a previous statement from communications director Steven Cheung.

“Stephen Miller is one of President Trump’s most trusted and longest serving aides,” the statement read.

“Stephen has worked relentlessly to expeditiously implement every facet of the President’s America First agenda and he will continue to do so.

The President loves Stephen and the White House staff respects him tremendously.”
More could be revealed about the future direction of U.S.

immigration policy when the administration selects a new director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Todd Lyons, the current director, plans to step down on May 31.

Mullin reportedly wants Tulsa County Sheriff Vic Regalado, a fellow Oklahoman and ally, to lead the agency.

Meanwhile, David Venturella, who oversees DHS detention center contractors and was a former private prison executive, is seen as an ally of Homan’s and a potential pick.

The Border Patrol’s hard-charging Gregory Bovino, the leader of the roving “turn and burn” force of masked agents making arrests across the country, soon returned to his sector in California and then retired .

The administration then reportedly ditched a fast-track immigration agent training program , which the administration adopted last year amid Miller’s push to fund and hire thousands of new agents with billions of dollars in unprecedented funding he helped steer to immigration enforcement.

Immigration arrests fell sharply after their late 2025 / early 2026 peak, according to an April analysis of federal data by The Associated Press.

Critics of Miller said they wouldn’t be satisfied until he was out of government completely.

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