Image by Getty Images

Stephen Miller and a team of far right-wing officials believe the separation of immigrant families at the border is a winning political issue and will open the door to even tougher crackdowns on immigrants.

Despite the heartbreaking reports of young children held in stark conditions, Miller hopes to use the crisis to gather enough data and statistics by early September to show voters that President Trump fulfilled his immigration promises — even without a physical border wall or any other congressional measure, Politico reported.

Among the ideas being circulated: tightening rules on student visas and exchange programs; limiting visas for temporary agricultural workers; making it harder for legal immigrants who have applied for any welfare programs to obtain residency; and collecting biometric data from visitors from certain countries.

Forwarding the News

Thoughtful, balanced reporting from the Forward and around the web, bringing you updated news and analysis each day.

Terms(Required)

I agree to the Forward's Terms of Service and Privacy Policy

Email(Required)

Details of the ideas are still being worked out, said one White House official.

Miller said Republicans should frame themselves as the party of strong borders and tar Democrats as immigrant-loving softies.

“The Democratic Party is at grave risk of completely marginalizing itself from the American voters by continuing to lean into its absolutist anti-enforcement positions,” Miller said in an interview with Breitbart News published on May 24.

Alyssa Fisher is a news writer at the Forward. Email her at [email protected], or follow her on Twitter at @alyssalfisher

The Forward is free to read, but it isn’t free to produce

I hope you appreciated this article. Before you go, I’d like to ask you to please support the Forward.

Now more than ever, American Jews need independent news they can trust, with reporting driven by truth, not ideology. We serve you, not any ideological agenda.

At a time when other newsrooms are closing or cutting back, the Forward has removed its paywall and invested additional resources to report on the ground from Israel and around the U.S. on the impact of the war, rising antisemitism and polarized discourse.

Readers like you make it all possible. Support our work by becoming a Forward Member and connect with our journalism and your community.

This is a great time to support independent Jewish journalism you rely on. Make a gift today!

—  Rachel Fishman Feddersen, Publisher and CEO

Support our mission to tell the Jewish story fully and fairly.

$90 $180

$360

Other amount