The White House deputy chief of staff has suggested that Americans should be paid reparations “for the damages inflicted by mass migration.”
Stephen Miller made the remarks during an interview with Newsmax on Friday, in which he hit back at suggestions from Democratic Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse that the government should be fined over the wrongful deportation of Kilmar Armando Abrego Garcia to El Salvador.
Newsweek reached out to Miller and the White House for comment via email on Monday.
Why It Matters
Miller’s comments come as the Trump administration continues its crackdown on immigration, with policies that have included fast-tracked deportations and detentions that critics say bypass due process.
Although these moves have drawn criticism from Democrats and have faced dozens of legal challenges, officials like Miller continue to double down and use sharp rhetoric to frame illegal migration as a threat to national security.
What To Know
Miller made the comments about reparations during a discussion about the ongoing saga of Abrego Garcia, a Maryland father who was mistakenly deported to El Salvador in March.
Whitehouse has suggested that a federal judge could put the government under a “civil contempt sanction” and be fined a $1 million a day, some of which could be given to Abrego Garcia.
“For the love of God, where are the damages for Americans?” Miller told Newsmax in response to questions about Whitehouse’s proposal.
Miller went on to list various issues facing the country, all of which he blamed on illegal migration, including issues with the public education system, drug-related deaths, gang violence and violent crime.
He claimed, without evidence, that “open borders” had damaged the public school system in the country, stating: “Nobody’s learning how to read or write. An entire generation of Americans, multiple generations, in fact, have been robbed of educational opportunities.”
He also blamed immigration for gang violence in Los Angeles, fentanyl-related deaths, and crimes including “ambush attacks” against police officers.
“There aren’t enough volumes that could fit into a library to calculate the carnage that has been inflicted by the Democratic Party’s policy of open borders,” he said.
What People Are Saying
Stephen Miller on Newsmax: “Where does our whole country go to get repaid for all of the wealth, all of the prosperity and security that has been stolen from us by decades of uncontrolled illegal mass migration? Because we all deserve reparations for what has been stolen from us.”
What Happens Next
Miller’s comments seem to have been rhetorical rather than a serious proposal. However, they reflect the ongoing tensions surrounding immigration which are likely to continue as the Trump administration continues with its hardline immigration policies, and civil rights groups and Democrats continue to challenge them.
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