Despite midterm losses, Trump admin intensifies deportations under new Chief of Staff Stephen Miller: Report
Washington, DC, November 9
Despite significant electoral setbacks during the midterm elections, the Trump administration intends to maintain its aggressive enforcement posture regarding immigration, driven largely by the influence of White House Chief of Staff Stephen Miller, multiple US officials told CBS News.
Republicans suffered major defeats nationwide on Election Day, including in historically red states such as Texas. Exit polling revealed that immigration remained a central voter concern alongside economic issues, with Texas Latinos shifting substantially towards Democratic candidates.
Furthermore, national surveys indicated that 58 per cent of voters believed the federal deportation crackdown had "gone too far".
With opposition lawmakers scheduled to assume control of both chambers of Congress in January, acquiring extensive investigatory authority over federal immigration policies, enforcement operations continue unabated.
Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement personnel have received no directives to curtail operations following the vote, sources speaking anonymously to CBS News confirmed.
Internal targets within ICE recently escalated from prior daily operational goals to approximately 2,700 arrests per day, aiming for roughly 19,000 weekly apprehensions, agency sources reported to CBS News.
Officials noted that this benchmark was established prior to the congressional ballots.
The elevation of Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff signals that the administration will persist with both high-visibility deportation sweeps and broader efforts to restrict legal entry channels.
When questioned regarding a potential enforcement rollback, one official informed CBS News, "I would count on the opposite" with Miller as chief of staff.
Administration leadership maintains that the electoral losses stemmed primarily from public anxieties concerning economic affordability and foreign policy friction rather than immigration policies.
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis defended the administration's record to CBS News, stating, "This administration will not slow down its efforts to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens who terrorise our communities. There has never been a President stronger on immigration enforcement than President Trump."
DHS echoed this sentiment in a weekend release, affirming that ICE would not be "backing away or slowing down".
Throughout his tenure, Miller has engineered hardline immigration measures, expanding his administrative authority to effectively suspend asylum systems, restrict refugee admissions and execute sweeping domestic arrest operations.
While external analysts anticipate rising political friction, including potential congressional subpoenas, oversight hearings and localised non-cooperation policies in jurisdictions such as Houston, the administration retains substantial funding resources secured through long-term budgetary legislation, ensuring that enforcement operations will continue unchecked.
— ANI
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