Stephen Miller‘s aggressive effort to extend a surveillance authority has sparked a major division inside the Make America Great Again (MAGA) world.
According to Politico, Miller is leading a campaign to reauthorize Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act (FISA) before it expires on April 20. The authority lets U.S. intelligence agencies collect communications of non-U.S. citizens abroad without a warrant.
Section 702 is part of the FISA framework. It is the same legal framework under which the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) investigated Russian interference in the 2016 election, which President Donald Trump has repeatedly called a “hoax.”
Now, Trump’s own deputy chief of staff, Miller, wants to preserve it.
Miller also serves as homeland security adviser under Trump and reportedly wants to extend the Section 702 authority into 2027. Republican Rep. Rick Crawford, who chairs the House Intelligence Committee. said that Miller has a “vested interest” in it.
The White House is quietly pushing for a clean extension into 2027 for a key spy power under Section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act, or FISA
Behind the scenes, senior White House domestic policy adviser Stephen Miller is a leading advocate for reauthorizing…
— Meredith Lee Hill (@meredithllee) February 19, 2026
Even within the Republican party, critics said the framework hands the executive branch too much power with too few guardrails. That internal tension is making the party question how much government power is too much, even under its own president.
On one side are national security hawks who view 702 as indispensable. On the other side, civil libertarians and MAGA loyalists are worried about warrantless surveillance, given how FISA was used during the Russia probe. House Judiciary Committee Chair Jim Jordan said that he is concerned about the safeguards, though he believes reauthorization can be possible with a compromise.
Trump himself has publicly railed against FISA in the past. His current stance isn’t entirely clear, which only complicates Miller’s mission. With the April 20 expiration, Republicans must either unite or let the authority lapse.
Miller is known as the architect of Trump’s hardline immigration agenda. He has expanded into foreign policy and national security and was reportedly central to internal discussions on military operations abroad.
As a result, he has emerged as one of the president’s most trusted voices.
The Worst White House Aide in History
For the good of the nation and his already tarnished legacy, Trump should fire Stephen Miller immediately.
Commentary: https://t.co/HDNjjwnSE6 pic.twitter.com/9casqDMYlL
— Rolling Stone (@RollingStone) January 29, 2026
However, Democrats call him a driving force behind aggressive Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) policies, and some Republicans also criticize his worldview. Posters branding him as authoritarian have appeared in public spaces in Washington. Polling also shows that Trump’s approval rating has fallen – thanks to his new immigration approach – which has received negative press as the midterms approach.
Yet, Miller allies describe him as fiercely loyal to Trump and aligned with the president’s instincts. As one Republican strategist told the BBC, he understands that Trump is not a conventional president, and he behaves accordingly.
Do you think Miller will be able to pass this tool if Trump gets behind 702 reauthorization?
