Speaker 1 (00:24):
Steven, do you know if the President is considering a trip to Minneapolis in the coming days or the Vice President?
Stephen Miller (00:30):
Hey guys, good to see you. Basically, the last few times I was doing interviews, so it's good to be here. I only have a little bit of time. We've got to run to a meeting, but I'd love to take your questions. I actually don't have an answer to that question. If I did, I'd be glad to share it with you.
Speaker 3 (00:43):
Can I ask you, Steven, about we had reported that immigration enforcement, there's gonna be a big operation next week or starting as early as next week in Chicago. There's also reporting that there's gonna be a similar move in Boston, Massachusetts. Can you talk more about those operations?
Stephen Miller (00:59):
Well, so I think there's a few important points on this, and thanks for the question. So just as a foundation, it's important to understand that immigration enforcement happens 24/7 in all communities in America. So one thing we really want to underscore is that immigration is in Customs enforcement, ICE is a federal agency with a federal mission that operates 24/7 from coast to coast and border to border.
(01:22)
Now at the same time, it's also true that the highest degree of national security and public safety concern are in sanctuary cities. So without getting into specifics and reviewing any operational details, the President has been clear repeatedly that we're gonna be prioritizing enforcement in these sanctuary jurisdictions as a matter of public safety and national security.
(01:43)
I think a lot of even journalists maybe may not realize what we mean when we say sanctuary city. It's a term that can have a lot of meanings. It can mean free welfare for illegal immigrants and often does and free benefits for illegals and often does. But the core definition is used by ICE of a sanctuary city is a city where when a illegal alien is charged or convicted of a crime, they're not turned over to ICE for removal. So just as a simple comparison, if in say the State of Texas, 10 illegal aliens are arrested for committing a crime, and they're about to be released, ICE will issue a detainer, and they'll be transferred from the state or local custody to ICE, and then ICE will then put them in detention and deport them.
(02:28)
In California, they will not be handed over to ICE. They'll be released at time and place unknown, and then ICE will have to go searching for weeks, months to find them. And in many cases, those aliens will go on to commit additional serious offenses, including oftentimes as we've seen over and over again, rape and murder. So that is the reason why it's so essential to prioritize enforcement in sanctuary cities.
Speaker 4 (02:51):
Can you comment on the Federal Register published restrictions on terms for visas for students and journalists, foreign journalists? Can you comment on the rationale for those term limits, four years and then journalist [inaudible 00:03:04] for today's?
Stephen Miller (03:04):
No, I think it was just a programmatic integrity measure to make sure that while you're in that status you should be in fact, at a school learning and educating. We found a lot of cases where someone applied for a student visa, they got it and then 11 years later they're still in that same status. At that point in time, obviously, your education would clearly be over. So just making sure, it's a way to cut down on fraud to make sure that foreign students are actually being educated at schools and are not just staying on that status without actually being enrolled, students.
Speaker 4 (03:33):
And journalists? They're limiting them to 240 days.
Stephen Miller (03:37):
Just a program integrity measure.
Speaker 5 (03:40):
On summit last Monday, South Korea, United States Summit. Is there any joint statement [inaudible 00:03:50] by both countries? If not, why?
Stephen Miller (03:54):
I don't have any news to make on that except to say that the President has been very clear about his expectations for South Korea in terms of what an investment deal, in terms of what a fair and balanced trade deal looks like. Our Secretary of Commerce is working on that as we speak, as of course, as the rest of the President's trade team. And as soon as we have an update, we'll share it with you.
Speaker 6 (04:14):
Mr. Miller. Would US tariff Norway after its sovereign wealth fund said it wouldn't invest in Caterpillar for selling to Israel? Do you have any insight into that?
Stephen Miller (04:25):
No insight right now. Sorry.
Speaker 6 (04:26):
Then separately, the Lisa Cook Court hearing ended with no decision. Have you spoken with the President about that hearing today?
Stephen Miller (04:37):
I don't have any update to that except to say that the President's authority as the head of the executive branch to terminate executive branch employees is a plenary authority that is fundamental to our constitutional order. Yes.
Speaker 7 (04:51):
Thank you. Mr. Miller. On Kilmar Abrego Garcia, can you just speak a little bit about the administration's decision to keep him in ICE detention, taking up a bed when he's already on the US Marshals monitoring services of the criminal trial. Also, if you could speak to the decision to, or the plan to deport him to Uganda. The judge in the immigration case, I should say, raised concerns about coercion with that in a hearing earlier this week.
Stephen Miller (05:16):
Why would it be coercion to send somebody to Uganda?
Speaker 7 (05:19):
They said it was possible coercion. They didn't make [inaudible 00:05:22].
Stephen Miller (05:22):
No, it was a rhetorical question which I'll address. But so first of all, this is the issue with crazy liberal judges everywhere is people who are a clear flight risk, a clear threat to public safety, get released over and over and over again. We see that here in Washington, DC not in the immigration context, but you see individuals all the time who are charged with extremely serious crimes. They are released on their own recognizance, and they go on to commit robbery, muggings, carjackings, murder. I mean, I've seen example after example of extremely serious felony including homicides where the individual would've been in jail but for the fact that they were released by a judge.
(06:04)
Obviously, the US government was someone who is an extreme flight and public safety risk like Garcia. We are not going to allow them to be on the street where they can engage… I mean, this is someone as you know, who's not only a member of a terrorist organization who's not only been accused of battery, but who's been accused of grave crimes against children. This is not someone we're going to allow to be out on the street.
(06:27)
Now to the point about Uganda, you just have to marvel at this. The same left-wing NGOs who tell us that we should open our borders to all the poor countries of the world also tell us that it would be unfair, improper to have anybody live in those countries. Well, if those countries don't have good systems of law and good systems of governance, then why would we want to have open migration from those countries? So these two propositions are in complete conflict. But more fundamentally, remember Garcia has said he doesn't want to go back home to El Salvador. That's what he said. So we're honoring that request by providing him with an alternate place to live. We're not a travel booking agency. It's not our job to say to illegal alien terrorists, "Pick your favorite destination in the world, and we'll send you a charter jet there." We have countries that have very graciously agreed to help resettle nationals from other countries, which is a great benefit to the United States. Obviously, that's something that Garcia is eligible for.
Speaker 8 (07:39):
Steven, the French president has said today that if Putin doesn't have talks with Zelenskyy, then President Trump will have been "played". Is that true? Is President Trump being played by President Putin at the moment?
Stephen Miller (07:53):
Such an absurd question. President Trump has achieved seven peace deals in seven months. No president in history has done war to advance the cause of peace. He's been nominated by multiple world leaders for the Nobel Peace Prize. Literally no president, not just in our lifetimes, but that I can think of an American history and no world leader anywhere today, anywhere on Earth has done more to advance world peace than President Trump. He's ended the conflict between Israel and Iran. He's ended the conflict between Rwanda and Congo, between India and Pakistan. Azerbaijan, I mean example after example, after example. Obviously, he's working steadfastly to end the killing in Ukraine. Keep in mind, this is President Biden's war. It started because of President Biden, and President Trump inherited President Biden's war, and he's working steadfastly to end the killing. That's something that everyone in the world should celebrate. Yes.
Speaker 7 (08:49):
[inaudible 00:08:45] to allow members of the PLO and the PA to come for the United Nations. Given that it's always been the norm that people who are part of official delegations get the right to come to the U.N.
Stephen Miller (09:01):
Well, I would let the Secretary of State comment more on it, but I mean, very straightforwardly. We've been very clear when it comes to our visa system that we are going to take all necessary steps to prevent our visa system from being used by individuals who may support or espouse terrorism or terrorist activity. Yes.
Speaker 9 (09:20):
Sorry, may I ask you about visa for foreign journalist?
Stephen Miller (09:23):
Oh, sorry, I already answered that question.
Speaker 5 (09:26):
How confident is the White House that you can currently nominate a CDC director that sort of balances the vaccine stance of Kennedy with someone that could pass the Senate?
Stephen Miller (09:39):
Well, as we know, I mean, so we'll find an incredible nominee. I'm not worried about that at all, but it's a good opportunity to talk about the CDC issue more broadly. As we know, the CDC's credibility was shattered during the COVID era. This is now widely understood and widely acknowledged. And CDC used to be of course or seen widely around the world as a premier health agency. And much of the world discovered in the last few years that CDC was actually staffed by a lot of very partisan, very political bureaucrats who weren't at all concerned about public health and weren't actually very knowledgeable about public health. And we are working hard. And more importantly, secretary Kennedy, one of the world's foremost voices, advocates and experts on public health, is working hard to restore the credibility and the integrity of CDC as a scientific organization committed to the scientific method and getting to the root causes of the public health epidemic in this country.
(10:39)
There's one chronic illness after another where we have seen incidences and rates in the western world in general, in America in particular, skyrocket over recent decades and years, both childhood illnesses and adult illnesses. And we know that the drivers of these chronic illnesses are things that can be explained both through environmental factors, both through pharmacological factors as well as other things that impact public health and well-being. But there has been no serious effort until Secretary Kennedy came along to deal with the systemic root drivers of chronic health. And it's an honor to be able to work with Secretary Kennedy as he tackles these issues on behalf of President Trump.
Speaker 3 (11:19):
Does [inaudible 00:11:20] president have any hesitancies about any of Secretary Kennedy's actions or leadership?
Stephen Miller (11:24):
Secretary Kennedy has been a crown jewel of this administration who's working tirelessly to improve public health for all Americans. And again, to deal with the drivers of the chronic health crisis in this country.
Speaker 10 (11:40):
[inaudible 00:11:38] Be more in line with with Kennedy in terms of [inaudible 00:11:43].
Stephen Miller (11:44):
Sorry, over here. Yes.
Speaker 7 (11:45):
Thank you. At what point do you expect the crime operation in DC to have taken into account that 30-day limit on federal racial [inaudible 00:11:51] force?
Stephen Miller (11:53):
So it's a great question. So first of all, we appreciate the comments from the mayor acknowledging how profound a difference President Trump's leadership has made in reducing crime and violence in the city. And I can say on a personal level, as somebody who has lived in this area for two decades, the transformation has been breathtaking. And we hear every day from members of the community, but particularly from longtime members of the community and Native Washingtonians been here for many years, some cases whose families have been here for many years, that they're just overflowing with gratitude at how safe and clean the city has become and how the parks are open again and the sidewalks are clean again. And they're not worried about getting shot or mugged or carjacked. The president has the authority under both that statute as well as inherent Article 2 authorities to maintain control of the federal and local policing in the city for as long as he may desire.
(12:59)
But at a more fundamental level, the key point is that this is the capital city of the United States, and the President is going to do whatever is necessary in order to ensure that the Capitol is the safest big city in the country. And of course, we want all cities to be the safest that they could possibly be. But here right now in the nation's capitol, this is a historic effort to transform nation's capital into something that is the envy of the world in terms of beauty, in terms of safety, in terms of community. And it really is a wonderful thing to watch that happening. But there are a lot of deep challenges we have to overcome. There are scores of organized street crews in this city that are comprised of career criminals that are engaged in narcotics trafficking and weapons trafficking and organized gang violence that represent a severe acute public safety threat to this city.
(13:59)
And we have DEA, FBI, ATF, and every federal law enforcement agency working to root out the chronic gang violence in this community and liberate this city for the people who live here. And it really is, it's an extraordinary thing that is happening right now. Nowhere in the history of our country has such a dramatic improvement been made in such a short time, but this is just beginning. And so I guess just to restate what I was saying to you, and I say more time on this because it's so important.
(14:31)
The president's authorities under the Home Rule Act, under the Constitution are clear in terms of his ability to direct and control public safety in the city. But even more important than the questions about specific legal authorities is the fact that as President of the United States, he will not relent and he will use every authority and tool at its disposal to ensure that the capital city of the United States is safe for all Americans and we will never waver and he will never waver from fulfilling that mission. And again, the gratitude and the appreciation that we've seen from the residents of this community has been really one of the more amazing things I've seen in my time here serving in the White House. But again, this is just the very beginning.
Speaker 11 (15:18):
[inaudible 00:15:14] Have you talked about the insurrection, talked about the Insurrection Act?
Stephen Miller (15:22):
Hold on. Time for two more questions. Yes.
Speaker 6 (15:23):
How do we interpret this U.S naval buildup around this? Is it drug cartels? Is it putting pressure on the drill or both or what?
Stephen Miller (15:31):
I want to be very clear. The President has said from… Well, actually going back to the campaign and then from day one of this presidency and the early executive orders, criminal cartels in this hemisphere are foreign terrorist organizations that present a clear and present danger to the American people. There are no organizations on this planet that are responsible for more dead Americans than the criminal cartels, the narco traffickers that are operating in the Western Hemisphere. And so the president has been clear in saying that the mission of the United States military includes the defense of the nation against these foreign terrorist organizations and criminal cartels. And so what you are seeing is the resolve of the President of the United States military to combat and dismantle drug trafficking organizations, criminal cartels, and these foreign terrorist organizations in our hemisphere.
Speaker 1 (16:32):
[inaudible 00:16:29] Thanks, Stephen. On Russia. Even the president has said or raised concerns that Putin may be tapping him along. Is that not a concern now considering that things just seem to be stalled a bit? There seems to be no progress between Putin and Zelenskyy meeting. Is there any concern of capital?
Stephen Miller (16:52):
I don't think I have anything to add to what I said already on the subject, which is that President Trump, since he came into this office, has made it his highest priority in the national security space to deliver peace, security, and stability in the world. He's ended seven wars in seven months. He's been very clear in his public statements about his priority in ending the killing in Ukraine.
(17:14)
We're not a combatant to this war or in this war. We're not a party to this war. This is a humanitarian concern about the mass death that's taking place as well as of course, the ever-present risks of escalation and spiraling. And I think like all Americans, I'm endlessly grateful that we have a president who is so committed to stopping violence, stopping killing, and making the world a safe place for the future. And that's something that fills me with pride every single day. Time for one last question.
Speaker 3 (17:43):
[inaudible 00:17:41] What are your plans for Chicago?
Stephen Miller (17:45):
Sorry, back here in Chicago.
Speaker 3 (17:46):
What are your plans for Chicago from this administration? And have you had a direct conversation with the president about invoking the Indirection Act for Chicago or any American city?
Stephen Miller (17:55):
Well, it's a great question and no updates on Chicago. So as soon as I have some, I'll be glad to give them to you. The president's been clear in his public statements on that, but I'll just take the privilege of the question as an opportunity to reiterate once again, this administration is committed to the eradication of organized street violence in the United States of America as one of our top public safety objectives. There is no place for organized street violence in America, whether it be from homegrown crews of street thugs, or whether it be from foreign criminal cartels operating on our soil. Every American city should be safe and free from this organized, horrific, bloody street violence that we have tolerated for too long.
(18:40)
The Democrat Party as an institution at every level, it's judges, it's lawyers, it's community activists, and it's politicians exist to serve these criminal thugs. We see it here in DC. We talk to the cops, they say, "We're not allowed to arrest anybody. And then when we do arrest somebody and they're immediately bailed out, they're immediately released to immediately set free. We arrest them again, they're back on the street again. And what do they do? They kill, they attack, they rob, they rape. Why would we put up with this? Right. These are society destroyers. This is a simple choice. You either side with civilization or you side with anarchy and violence." And so President Trump is proud to be using federal law enforcement and our National Guard to make this city safe and peaceful for Americans. And he stands ready to help and assist any community that wishes to be liberated from these criminal elements that are such a dire threat to the freedom and tranquility of the American people. Thank you.
Speaker 4 (19:41):
[inaudible 00:19:41].
Speaker 12 (19:43):
Does that include the Insurrection Act?
Speaker 5 (19:44):
Thank you.