"Too Far": After Melania Complaint, Trump Pulls Up Immigration Adviser

US President Donald Trump has criticised one of his closest immigration advisers, Stephen Miller, telling him he had gone "too far" with the administration's deportation drive after first lady Melania Trump raised concerns about the crackdown.

According to a report by The Wall Street Journal, Melania told her husband that people she knew were being deported as part of his sweeping anti-immigration campaign. Her complaint prompted Trump to take issue with Miller, the deputy White House chief of staff who has been one of the key figures behind the administration's hardline immigration policies.

The development comes after Trump's Republicans suffered major losses in the midterm elections, with voters expressing their dissatisfaction with the first two years of his second term.

Melania Raised Concerns After Minnesota Raids

This is not the first time Melania has reportedly questioned her husband's immigration policies.

In March, the Wall Street Journal reported that the first lady was among a group of advisers who warned Trump that his deportation drive had gone too far. The discussions took place as tensions rose in Minnesota following raids by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Melania was also part of conversations with White House Chief of Staff Susie Wiles and other senior advisers about how the administration should respond to the violence and rethink its approach.

The immigration crackdown has since become a major political issue for the Republicans.

Trump lost much of the support he had gained among Hispanic voters during the 2024 presidential election. Around six in 10 Hispanic voters nationally said they backed Democratic candidates in their local House races.

Stephen Miller's Remarks After Minneapolis Shootings

Miller has been at the centre of the administration's aggressive immigration operation. His comments following the deaths of two American citizens in Minneapolis also drew widespread criticism.

On January 24, Border Patrol officers shot and killed Alex Pretti, an ICU nurse, during an immigration enforcement operation in the city.

Miller described Pretti as a "domestic terrorist" and an "assassin" who "tried to murder federal agents."

Earlier, he had used the same description for Renee Good, who was shot and killed inside her car by an ICE agent. Miller has also been named as a defendant in a lawsuit filed by Good's family against the agent and other Trump administration officials.

Although Melania has generally stayed away from commenting on Trump's political decisions, she has occasionally taken positions that differ from the administration's approach.

She has been involved in efforts related to Russia's war in Ukraine and helped broker a ceasefire in the southern Ukrainian town of Oleshky.