The architect of President Donald Trump’s harshest immigration policies is now being sidelined as the White House confronts the repercussions of them.
Stephen Miller, Trump’s deputy chief of staff and Homeland Security adviser, was reportedly shut out of a closed-door White House meeting on Monday night after a second U.S. citizen was killed by a federal agent in Minnesota, triggering a national outcry over federal immigration enforcement.
The two-hour meeting, held at the request of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, came amid growing backlash against the Trump officials seen as responsible for the chaos, including Noem, Miller, and Border Patrol commander‑at‑large Gregory Bovino.
Noem and her de facto chief of staff—and alleged lover—Corey Lewandowski met with Trump, 79, amid mounting calls for her resignation after she falsely labeled ICU nurse Alex Pretti, 37, a “domestic terrorist” in the wake of his fatal shooting by a masked Border Patrol agent on Saturday.
They were joined by some of the president’s top aides, including White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, Chief of Staff Susie Wiles, and Communications Director Steven Cheung.
Miller, who has reportedly turned against Noem and blamed her for the fallout in Minnesota, was absent from the meeting—a move that marks a stunning reversal for the White House as it seeks to distance itself from the zero‑tolerance immigration policies he helped craft.
The White House aide further fueled outrage across the political spectrum by labeling Pretti a “would-be assassin” in an X post immediately following his death—a post later reshared by Vice President JD Vance.
Multiple videos of the shooting tell a drastically different story. Pretti never drew the handgun he was legally allowed to carry and appeared to be disarmed by agents during a pile-on before he was shot several times while lying on the ground.
Yet even as the videos circulated widely over the weekend, Miller doubled down. He later responded to criticism from Minnesota Sen. Amy Klobuchar, who wrote on X: “Get ICE out of Minnesota NOW. And Republicans in Congress: Stop your silence and stop being complicit.”
“A domestic terrorist tried to assassinate federal law enforcement, and this is your response?” Miller replied. “You and the state’s entire Democrat leadership team have been flaming the flames of insurrection for the singular purpose of stopping the deportation of illegals who invaded the country.”
Leavitt later attempted to distance the White House from Miller’s claims during a press briefing—a sharp turn from her usual attack-dog demeanor. When asked on Monday why Miller and other administration officials jumped to such conclusions about Pretti’s death, she said: “Look, this has obviously been a very fluid and fast-moving situation throughout the weekend. As for President Trump, whom I speak for, he has said that he wants to let the investigation continue and let the facts lead in this case.”
Pressed again on whether she agreed with the depiction of Pretti as a “domestic terrorist,” Leavitt replied: “I have not heard the president characterize Mr. Pretti in that way. However, I have heard the president say he wants to let the facts and the investigation lead itself.”
Previously, Leavitt had staunchly defended administration officials’ claims, including after an ICE agent fired three shots into a vehicle and killed Renee Good, a 37-year-old mother of three, in Minneapolis earlier this month. Her death has since been ruled a homicide.
But the outpouring of demands for an investigation into Pretti’s death—including from members of Trump’s own party—has become a defining moment of his second presidential term, all but forcing him to do damage control.
So far, Bovino has been ousted from Minneapolis by administration officials—and, reportedly, his social media accounts have been blocked. In his place, Trump has moved border czar Tom Homan to the front lines in Minneapolis, with Homan, a Noem foe, to report directly to him. For her part, Noem reportedly remains on thin ice.
DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin refuted that Noem’s job was at stake in a statement to the Daily Beast following her “at-length discussions” with Trump:
“I can’t get the specifics. Secretary Noem will continue to oversee the Department of Homeland Security, and she is very happy that Tom Homan, who is a great asset to the President and has a great depth of experience and insight, will be overseeing Minneapolis. Secretary Noem has also been overseeing FEMA.”
The Daily Beast has reached out to the White House for comment.
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