Trump adviser ‘exploring all options’ after court overturns entry ban
Stephen Miller says White House could pursue additional executive action, mount more judicial appeals
US President Donald Trump’s chief policy adviser said the White House is exploring “all of our options” after a federal appeals court handed the administration a legal setback on Trump’s executive order on immigration.
Stephen Miller told NBC’s “Meet the Press” on Sunday that the White House could pursue “additional executive actions” — as Trump suggested on Friday — as well as judicial appeals.
Miller said the goal is to pursue “every single possible action to keep our country safe from terrorism.”
He stressed that the emphasis was on deporting those he called “criminal aliens” and who “pose a threat to public safety.”
“We’re going to focus on public safety and saving American lives and we will not apologize,” he said.
He also criticized judges for taking “power for themselves that belong squarely in the hands” of the president.
Trump himself praised the actions of Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers for the recent “enforcement surge” that officials say is targeting immigrants who are in the country illegally and have criminal records.
Trump tweeted that “the crackdown on illegal criminals is merely the keeping of my campaign promise. Gang members, drug dealers & others are being removed!”
Advocacy groups contended that the government had rounded up large numbers of people as part of stepped-up enforcement. The agency called the effort no different from enforcement actions carried out in the past.