Stephen Miller

Stephen Miller (born August 23, 1985) is an American political advisor currently serving as White House Deputy Chief of Staff for Policy and Homeland Security Advisor. He is best known for his service as a senior policy advisor to President Donald Trump from 2017 to 2021.) In that role, he played a key part in developing and advancing stringent immigration policies, including the family separation aspect of the zero-tolerance approach at the border. Miller also served as a principal speechwriter for Trump, crafting major addresses during the 2016 campaign and presidency.

Raised in Santa Monica, California, Miller emerged as a conservative activist during his high school and college years, criticizing multiculturalism and advocating for stricter immigration controls through op-eds and campus organizing. At Duke University, he continued this pattern by challenging liberal viewpoints and building a reputation for provocative conservatism. After graduating, he worked in Republican congressional offices, including as press secretary for Representative Michele Bachmann and advisor to Senator Jeff Sessions, honing his focus on immigration restriction. In February 2020, Miller married Katie Miller, a prominent Republican and former Trump administration official.

Stephen Miller was born on August 23, 1985, in Santa Monica, California, to a family of Ashkenazi Jewish descent with Eastern European immigrant roots who escaped Russian pogroms and later threats during the Holocaust era. His parents, Michael D. Miller, a real estate investor, and Miriam (née Glosser), resided in the affluent coastal community, where liberal political leanings were prevalent among residents. Miller attended Hebrew school at Beth Shir Shalom and was confirmed at the Santa Monica Synagogue, a Reform temple. He has described himself as a "practicing Jew." In February 2020, Miller married Katie Waldman (now Katie Miller) in a Jewish ceremony officiated by Rabbi Aryeh Lightstone at the Trump International Hotel in Washington, D.C.

After graduating from Duke in 2007, Miller traveled across Eurasia, including participating in a Birthright Israel program, a cultural visit for young Jewish adults that does not confer Israeli citizenship or a passport. He then transitioned into entry-level political roles, leveraging his campus experience.