• Analysis
Trump Deportation Policy Called Too Tough by Trump as Miller Starts as Chief of Staff, Qatar PM Visit Set
Stephen Miller began work as White House chief of staff on Monday, 9 November 2026, as Donald Trump said his trump deportation policy might have been too tough, and after a deportation flight of Iranian nationals was abruptly canceled.
Miller takes office amid a softened line on deportations
Stephen Miller, the architect of Donald Trump's aggressive immigration crackdown, began as White House chief of staff on Monday, 9 November 2026. The 41-year-old has been at Trump's side since the start of his political career, working as a speechwriter on the 2016 campaign, and drove first-term policies that included family separation at the US-Mexico border and a travel ban on people from many Muslim-majority countries.
His first day followed Trump's comment on CBS's '60 Minutes', in his first major interview since Republicans lost control of the House and Senate in the midterm elections, that his deportation policy had contributed to the losses and might have been too tough. Trump said he was open to an arrangement allowing some undocumented immigrants to remain in the US and believed a deal with the new Democratic majority was possible.
The remarks sat uneasily beside Trump's Friday decision to elevate Miller to the chief of staff role. In a social media post, Trump called him "one of my most trusted advisors" and praised outgoing chief of staff Susie Wiles for doing "an outstanding job".
Qatar's prime minister at the White House
Trump was scheduled to meet Qatar's prime minister, Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani, who also serves as the country's foreign minister, at the White House on Monday in a closed-door session. Vice-president JD Vance was also due to sit down with the Qatari leader, according to a US official.
The meetings take place as the conflict with Iran continues and diplomatic efforts to end it face significant obstacles.
Iran deportation flight canceled without explanation
A US deportation flight carrying Iranian nationals bound for Iran by way of Pakistan was abruptly canceled on Sunday morning, according to an attorney who spoke to detainees.
At least eight Iranians had been loaded onto a plane in Mesa, Arizona, for a journey routed to Georgia and then Pakistan. Ali Rahnama, an attorney with the Iranian American Legal Defense Fund who filed emergency motions on behalf of some detainees, said: "The flight was canceled without explanation".
Other lines from the president's weekend
Speaking to reporters returning from his Florida beach club, Trump touched on several other subjects:
- •On the 2028 Republican field, he hinted at neutrality about an endorsement, saying "probably, not necessarily", and added: "We have a tremendous bench. I have so many people that I have great relationships with".
- •He said he "was only kidding" when he announced a day earlier that he had offered the White House press secretary job to UFC chief executive Dana White.
- •He joked that reporters "wouldn't mess around with him so much" if the UFC boss took the briefing room flanked by six fighters.
The day's next step was the presidential schedule itself: Trump's meeting with Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani at the White House on Monday, with Vance also due to meet the Qatari leader.
