Stephen Miller in Retreat

"The Labor Department's Foreign Labor Certification office announced that the Trump administration would cut the number of approved visas for seasonal workers by about 50 percent. Miller had been trying since his days as a Senate aide to reduce reliance on visas granted annually to the hospitality, construction, and landscaping industries. But the plan unraveled within weeks. After the killing of two protesters in Minneapolis, President Trump reversed the visa cuts as part of a late-January retreat from Miller's hard-edged goals."

"The reversal was one of the earliest signs that Miller's influence is on the wane. Others have followed. The White House deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser designed Trump's second-term immigration agenda. But weeks into the new year, the president dismantled the roving Border Patrol strike forces that Miller had encouraged; turned on Noem, who had carried out Miller's aggressive instructions; and handed control of the deportation program back to career law-enforcement officials."

"White House insiders said that Miller remains a top adviser to the president, that he has a singular relationship to Trump built over the past decade, and that his job is not in jeopardy. Immigration enforcement remains a central theme of the administration and is expected to feature prominently in Trump's midterm-election mess."

The Labor Department announced that the Trump administration would cut approved visas for seasonal workers by about 50 percent, reflecting efforts to reduce reliance on annual visas for hospitality, construction, and landscaping. The plan unraveled shortly after two protesters were killed in Minneapolis, when President Trump reversed the visa cuts during a late-January retreat from hard-edged goals. The reversal was made without Stephen Miller’s involvement, with decisions attributed to Trump, Tom Homan, and others after concerns from hospitality-industry employers. The reversal was an early sign that Miller’s influence was weakening. Trump also dismantled Border Patrol strike forces, turned on Kristi Noem, and returned deportation control to career law-enforcement officials, while insiders said Miller remains a top adviser and immigration enforcement stays central.

Read at The Atlantic