Stephen Miller Oversees Visa System, Pressures Diplomats to Target Critics, Report Says: 'Treats Immigration as a Personal Fiefdom'

Stephen Miller, the White House Deputy Chief of Staff, has been directing detailed visa and refugee policy through near-daily coordination calls with senior State Department officials, effectively treating the visa system as a "personal fiefdom," according to new reporting from The Guardian.

Current and former diplomats told the outlet that Miller's role in reshaping the department has expanded significantly, pressuring officials to revoke visas and accelerate removals.

The report cites officials who said Miller leads morning interagency calls in which a select group of conservative diplomats is instructed on specific deportation negotiations and visa cancellations. One former senior official said the approach reflects a broader strategy of "installing trusted people in the key positions, and turning [the State Department] into an anti-immigration machine."

Diplomats described Miller lobbying for targeted visa revocations, including for critics of Israel's war in Gaza and of the conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was assassinated in September. Court testimony from John Armstrong, the senior official for consular affairs, confirmed Miller discussed revoking visas for pro-Palestinian academics in "at least a dozen" conversations.

A State Department official told The Guardian the administration has revoked thousands of visas since Trump took office, limited refugee admissions to 7,500 next year, and prioritized applicants from specific backgrounds, including white South Africans. The same official noted that immigration issues have become "a key pillar of our foreign policy," representing a significant shift from past practice.

Miller's influence has been reinforced by personnel placements. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau frequently joins the calls and has encouraged public identification of potential visa-revocation targets under the moniker "El Quitavisas." Many top roles in the consular bureau are now held by members of the Ben Franklin Fellowship, a conservative diplomatic network that opposes prior diversity and inclusion policies.

Critics say the structure bypasses normal deliberation. One State Department official briefed on the calls said Miller's directives are issued without "room for discussion," and that they go "country-by-country" on specific denials and removals. The official said the sessions occur "every single day" among a tight circle.

A White House official rejected the characterization, saying claims that Miller treats immigration as a personal fiefdom are "just inaccurate." "Stephen Miller is a staffer ... working to implement the president's agenda," the official said.

Miller's expanding profile has also been reflected in foreign policy. Politico recently reported in that Miller aligned with Secretary of State Marco Rubio to intensify pressure on Venezuela, supporting a campaign that includes U.S. strikes on alleged drug-trafficking boats in the Caribbean and outreach aimed at undermining President Nicolás Maduro.