President-elect Donald Trump's deputy chief of staff for policy, Stephen Miller, gave new details during regarding what he says will be the administration's top priority over the next four years— "the largest deportation operation in American history."
In an interview with Fox News, Miller detailed that the President-elect would kick off his mass deportation plans on Day 1 of his presidency, though the operation would be hard to achieve without major structural overhauls. He also revealed that deportations would take priority over other issues, such as making reforms to tax and trade, and the debt ceiling.
The incoming official also revealed that Trump has plans to "issue a series of executive orders that seal the border shut and begin the largest deportation operation in American history."
To do so, Miller urged Republicans in Congress to pass necessary funding. He particularly took his attention to incoming Senate Majority Leader John Thune (R-S.D.) and Sen. Lindsey Graham (R-S.C.), who he says has "promised that they can get a full funding package for the border, the most significant board of security investment in American history... to the president's desk in January or early February."
That would mean a "massive increase" in Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers working on Trump's deportation operation and a "historic increase in border agents," with both getting a pay rise.
He also vowed that there would be "full funding for ICE beds, full funding for air and marine operations, full funding for all of the barriers and technology that you need to ensure there's never another got-away entering this country."
But their efforts wouldn't end there. Miller outlined a seemingly back-and-forth dynamic between Trump and Congress that would let them breeze through sweeping immigration legislation.
Miller noted that once Trump has signed executive order to "seal the border shut" and begin deportations, the senators would "move immediately" in the same timeframe "to the comprehensive tax reform package."
"What they're talking about doing is, before government funding expires in March, before the debt ceiling expires in June, just days after he puts his hand on that Bible..." added Miller before Fox's Maria Bartiromo asked if waiting until later in the year to extend tax cuts through a separate reconciliation process could risk it not happening.
"There's zero chance of that because, as you know, the tax cuts expire this year," Miller replied.
But despite Miller's confidence and what the GOP has declared a "mandate" in the federal government, passing through sweeping legislation may become a challenge, particularly in the U.S. House.
While Republicans were able to claim the 218 majority seat in the House, winning a narrow majority of 220 seats over Democrats' 215, there are still some challenges ahead for House Speaker Mike Johnson (R-La.). For one, the razor-thin majority leave very little room for error, needing almost all Republicans to vote unanimously on legislation.
Moreover, Trump has selected Reps. Michael Waltz (R-Fla.) and Elise Stefanik (R-N.Y.) as his national security advisor and ambassador to the United Nations, respectively. Both of their seats, along with that of Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.), who resigned in pursuit of an ultimately failed nomination for attorney general and said he will not retake his seat in January, won't be filled until the Spring at the earliest.
That leaves Johnson with a 217-215 majority for around the first 100 days of the Trump administration, where they have vowed to pass the most legislation.
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