Stephen Miller, Trump's deputy chief of staff, directed ICE officials last year to meet daily quotas of 3,000 immigration arrests — an unprecedented number that has not yet been met, according to CNN reporting on how the White House micromanages US immigration policy.

Miller has been the architect of the administration's aggressive deportation push, encouraging heavy-handed operations in blue cities and urging agencies to cast a wide net to meet hefty arrest quotas. This week he sought to distance himself from the recent fatal shootings in Minneapolis and the administration's miscalculated response.

The pressure Miller exerts is felt downstream among agents and officers conducting immigration enforcement operations, resulting in their casting a wide net as to whom they arrest, including those who do not have criminal records.

What changed after the Minneapolis shooting?

Miller is one of multiple Trump administration officials who have sought to cast blame on each other in the aftermath of the fatal shooting of Alex Pretti in Minnesota, as they face bipartisan criticism for the increasingly chaotic scenes there and for their seeming rush to blame Pretti for the confrontation.

On Tuesday, Miller — who has long been reticent to admit to failure or weakness — took the rare step of acknowledging a possible mistake in the administration's immigration effort, a sign of how much the Pretti shooting has shaken the White House.

Miller said that Customs and Border Protection may not have followed protocols during the shooting, and he noted that the White House based its preliminary response on initial reports from CBP on the ground.

He originally called Pretti a "would-be assassin" — a comment amplified by other Trump-linked accounts. Video quickly contradicted his description, showing Pretti only filming officers and helping a woman who had been knocked down.

How does Miller run enforcement day to day?

Miller's power is evident in his daily 10 a.m. conference calls, including Saturdays, where he demands updates from agencies and exerts pressure on senior officials who deliver less-than-satisfactory results, according to a source familiar with the calls.

A White House official described the call as a "policy call to ensure interagency coordination," including senior leadership of agencies across the administration responsible for national security and public safety. The call can cover a host of topics but largely focuses on Trump's immigration push, a core part of the president's second-term agenda.

Miller is militant, according to administration sources, in his belief that he must strictly enforce that push. His focus on numbers includes:

• How many immigration arrests are conducted on a given day
• How quickly deportations are happening
• The 3,000-arrests-per-day quota he set for ICE, which remains unmet

Officials will often breathe a sigh of relief when Miller directs his ire at an agency that is not their own. He also calls Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem — who has taken significant heat for her handling of Minnesota — multiple times a day, according to sources, to provide guidance on how Trump's immigration agenda is being executed.

What does the White House say?

"Stephen is laser-focused on implementing the president's agenda and the high success of the Homeland Security Council showcases that," a White House official told CNN, pointing to the "DC Safe and Beautiful Task Force" and the oil boat seizures. "This is the definition of good government."

Another White House official argued that Miller's role is strictly focused on policy, not operational enforcement, noting that Greg Bovino, who until this week led the operation in Minnesota, was not present for these calls.

CNN has previously reported that Miller is also heavily involved with the Justice Department's day-to-day operations, especially on immigration and messaging. He is in regular contact with officials at all levels of the department, according to multiple people familiar with the discussions.

Is Miller's position at risk?

A White House official laughed at the prospect of Miller being fired over the Minneapolis response. Trump "is hesitant to talk about getting rid of someone who has been here a few weeks, let alone someone who has been with him for more than 10 years. It's not even on his radar."

Miller, a former Senate aide who has long been fixated on immigration policy, joined Trump's 2016 presidential campaign during its early stages and was the rare White House aide to serve the full four years of his first term. He has become even more powerful during Trump's second term, weighing in on a wide range of issues.

By Wednesday, Miller was back to sharing X posts about the arrests of "Minnesota rioters" and the "dangerous policy" on immigration supported by Democrats.

For authoritative details on US immigration enforcement policy, readers should follow official announcements from US Citizenship and Immigration Services, ICE, and Customs and Border Protection.