WASHINGTON — President-elect Donald Trump has selected Stephen Miller, one of his longest-serving and staunchest advisers on immigration, as the new deputy chief of staff for policy in his upcoming administration.

This swift decision to appoint the hardline conservative suggests that Trump intends to swiftly implement the “America First” agenda he campaigned on. Miller’s selection precedes the appointments of traditional national security positions such as attorney general, and secretaries of State and Defense.

While Trump has not yet publicly announced this choice, Vice President-elect JD Vance and senior adviser Corey Lewandowski both recognized Miller’s new position on the platform X after CNN first broke the news. “This is another great choice by the president,” Vance commented.

Miller’s appointment follows Trump’s 2024 presidential campaign, which included promises of mass deportations for undocumented immigrants.

At 39 years old, Miller previously served as a senior advisor and speechwriting director during Trump’s first administration. He played a key role in shaping Trump’s immigration policies, which enacted measures like family separations at the border and travel bans on several predominantly Muslim countries.

Miller quickly rose as one of Trump’s main policy strategists early in his first term, despite lacking substantial policy background at that time. He became a go-to spokesperson for Trump on cable news channels, voicing aggressive criticism against free trade and globalization while consistently pushing for strict immigration measures.

During Trump’s administration, many Democrats labeled Miller a white nationalist, pointing to a 2019 report from the Southern Poverty Law Center detailing over 900 emails he reportedly sent to a former writer at the conservative site Breitbart, sharing his perspectives.

After Trump’s initial term, Miller founded the America First Legal Foundation, which contested various Biden administration policies in court. This included challenging initiatives aimed at financially aiding Black farmers, contending that the program was discriminatory. He later became instrumental in Trump’s 2024 campaign.

Miller will work alongside Susie Wiles, who is set to be Trump’s chief of staff in the upcoming term. Other noteworthy appointments include Rep. Elise Stefanik, R-N.Y., nominated to be the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, and Tom Homan, former ICE head, named by Trump as his “border czar” to oversee deportation policies for undocumented immigrants.