Who's Stephen Miller, who accused India of financing Russia's war
What's the story
Stephen Miller, a deputy chief of staff at the White House and one of Donald Trump's most influential aides, has accused India of financing Russia's war against Ukraine by buying oil from it. He also accused India of imposing "massive" tariffs on American goods and "cheating" the US immigration system. His remarks come amid ongoing trade negotiations between India and the United States.
Background
Who is Stephen Miller
Miller, who was born to wealthy Jewish parents in California's Santa Monica, is known for his conservative views. He became a controversial figure early on, even writing an article at 16 criticizing Hispanic students. After working as a press secretary for Michele Bachmann and Jeff Sessions, he joined Trump's presidential campaign in 2015 on Steve Bannon's recommendation.
Policy influence
Miller's role in Trump's administration
Miller was instrumental in shaping some of Trump's most controversial policies in Trump 1.0, including the "Muslim ban" and separating migrant children from their parents at the border. He also pushed for changes to H-1B visa processing that affected many Indians. In Trump's second term as president, Miller drafted the order that canceled birthright citizenship for children born to undocumented immigrants.
Miller
He also leads White House's Homeland Security Council
As deputy chief of staff, he also leads the White House's Homeland Security Council. The HSC is an entity within the Executive Office of the President tasked with advising the president on matters relevant to homeland security. He has called for increased arrests of migrants by Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents. He stated that the country needs 3,000 arrests every day, a staggering increase from the daily average of approximately 650 during the president's first five months in office.
Recent developments
Rubio's warning about Russian oil imports
Miller's remarks about India came after US Senator Marco Rubio expressed concern over India's continued import of Russian oil. Rubio called it "most certainly a point of irritation" in the relationship between the two countries. Despite these tensions, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has remained defiant. He said, "Now, whatever we buy, there should be only one scale: we will buy those things which have been made by the sweat of an Indian."