WASHINGTON (Azat TV) – The Trump administration will not scale back its aggressive immigration enforcement operations despite suffering sweeping losses in the November 2026 midterm elections, according to multiple U.S. officials cited in a report published by CBS News on November 8, 2026. Speaking on the condition of anonymity, the sources pointed directly to the elevation of immigration hawk Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff as the clear indicator that the administration intends to double down on its hardline policies.
Republicans endured severe electoral setbacks across the country on Election Day, losing ground in historically red states like Texas, where exit polls revealed immigration and the economy were top voter priorities among Latinos who swung toward Democrats. Furthermore, nationwide polling indicated that 58% of voters felt the Trump administration’s deportation crackdown had gone too far. Despite this public rebuke and upcoming Democratic control of both congressional chambers in January, officials at the Department of Homeland Security and Immigration and Customs Enforcement confirmed they have received no directives to reduce operations.
Escalating Enforcement Targets and Miller’s Expanded Influence
Agency sources told CBS News that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) has recently been instructed to target roughly 19,000 arrests per week—about 2,700 daily—marking a significant increase from the previous daily target of 2,000 established before the midterms. When asked if the election results would prompt a policy pullback, one U.S. official remarked that observers should count on the exact opposite with Miller leading the White House staff.
White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis defended the administration’s trajectory, asserting that the electoral losses stemmed from economic anxieties, affordability issues, and foreign policy concerns rather than immigration policy. Bis emphasized that the administration remains committed to arresting and deporting criminal non-citizens, pointing to historically low unauthorized border crossings compared to previous years under the Biden administration. Stephen Miller, a 41-year-old presidential loyalist who has shaped the administration’s hardline agenda for a decade, will replace Susie Wiles as chief of staff effective Monday.
Miller has been a fixture in President Trump’s inner circle since the 2016 campaign, when he first pushed for sweeping restrictions on immigration and expanded deportations. During his first administration, Miller helped craft the travel bans targeting Muslim-majority nations and the controversial “zero tolerance” family separation policy, which was eventually paused after triggering widespread public backlash. Since returning to the White House as deputy chief of staff and homeland security adviser, Miller’s portfolio expanded significantly. Under his watch, the administration effectively closed the asylum system, halted refugee admissions with narrow exceptions, tightened green card requirements, and initiated high-profile enforcement sweeps across American cities.
These aggressive enforcement actions have frequently sparked intense community resistance. In January, federal immigration operations in Minneapolis resulted in the deaths of two American citizens, Renee Good and Alex Pretti, prompting widespread bipartisan outrage and a temporary scaling back of operations at the time. Despite such friction, Miller has continued to pursue uncompromising enforcement measures, even floating proposals to suspend habeas corpus for detained individuals as the number of legal challenges surrounding ICE detention facilities reaches record highs.
Institutional Stakes and Looming Congressional Clashes
The consolidation of power under Miller sets up an inevitable institutional clash as Democrats prepare to assume congressional majorities in January. Theresa Cardinal Brown, a former DHS official during the Obama and Bush administrations, noted that congressional Democrats plan to utilize their newly acquired oversight powers to launch investigations, issue subpoenas, and pursue legislative measures restricting enforcement funding. Cardinal Brown also highlighted that local dynamics are shifting, noting that cities like Houston are already directing police departments to scale back cooperation with federal immigration agents.
Nevertheless, analysts emphasize that the administration retains immense structural advantages. ICE secured $75 billion in funding through 2029 via legislation signed last year, providing the agency with deep financial resources to sustain its operations. While local pushback and congressional inquiries are expected to create procedural hurdles, White House officials remain resolute, signaling that the momentum behind the administration’s comprehensive immigration restrictions and deportation blitz will persist unchecked.
In addition to managing immigration enforcement, Miller has leveraged his influence to steer federal oversight into other domains, including investigations targeting universities, legal advocacy groups, and allegations of electoral fraud in Democratic-led states like Minnesota. With his promotion to chief of staff, administration critics anticipate that these multifaceted campaigns will accelerate rather than diminish, setting the stage for deep political polarization when the new Congress convenes.