Stephen Miller phones US ambassador to Mexico almost daily to rant about border crossing numbers, report says

Stephen Miller phones US ambassador to Mexico almost daily to rant about border crossing numbers, report says Miller reportedly ‘rails’ about the number of illegal border crossings to U.S. ambassador to Mexico Ronald Johnson, despite numbers dropping to their lowest point in years - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Become an Independent member to bookmark this article Already a member? Log in White House chief of staff Stephen Miller calls up the U.S. ambassador to Mexico almost daily to complain about the number of border crossings and has set a near-impossible target, according to a report. Miller, who was last week promoted from deputy to the second most powerful job in the country, is said to regularly “rail” about the number of illegal border crossings on the phone to Ronald Johnson, the U.S. ambassador to Mexico, despite numbers dropping to their lowest point in years, The New York Times reports. The chief of staff, known as the architect of the Trump administration’s hardline anti-immigration campaign, has reportedly set a new goal of zero crossings at the border. Mexican officials told the newspaper that it was “simply not possible” given the 2,000-mile-long border. The calls have reportedly ramped up in recent months due to a slight rise in the number of illegal border crossings. Border crossings drastically dropped in February 2024, almost a year before Trump took office, and in 2025 they were at their lowest level since 1970, according to government data. “On day one, President Trump took action to secure our border. He has delivered the most secure border in American history,” White House spokeswoman Lauren Bis told the outlet. The White House previously credited Miller for his role in helping the president achieve “historic results” with illegal immigration. The Independent has contacted the office of the U.S. ambassador to Mexico for comment. Johnson regularly praises Trump for creating “the most secure border in U.S. history” in social media posts. “Through our efforts across Mission Mexico, we’re disrupting criminal networks, preventing dangerous crossings, and saving lives,” he said in a post on X. “We will not stop. Our border will remain secure and closed to illegal immigration and the trafficking of drugs, weapons, and people.” Since suffering a Democratic wipeout in the midterm elections, Trump has doubled down on his immigration efforts. He fired former chief of staff Susie Wiles after the loss and promoted Miller. Trump raged about Mexico in a Truth Social post Thursday and threatened to double tariffs on the country if it did not stop what he said were “huge CARAVANS beginning their illegal march through Mexico” en route to the U.S. He suggested that the movement of migrants northward was a direct response to last week’s massive landslide election. News of Miller’s elevation to chief of staff set off alarm bells with Mexican officials, who worry that tensions could heighten with him at the helm. “No one is pleased, to say the least,” former U.S. diplomat John Feeley told Politico. Excelsior, a Mexican media outlet, published a seething rebuke of Miller after his promotion titled: “A danger to Mexico named Stephen Miller.” Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum was asked about Miller’s promotion and whether it had any implications for her country earlier this week. “There has been nothing to alert us that anything is changing,” she said. Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments