Trump appoints immigration hawk as 'border czar', UN critic as UN envoy

US President-elect Donald Trump has nominated Tom Homan, a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director known for tough border policies, as his "border czar" and Stephen Miller, an advocate of strict immigration controls, as White House deputy chief of staff for policy.

- Prashant Jha

Trump has also selected Elise Stefanik, a critic of the United Nations and a hawkish supporter of Israel, as his ambassador to the UN.

The appointments signal the next US administration's intent to implement stringent border control measures, accelerate deportation of illegal immigrants, and firmly oppose any multilateral pressure on Israel.

Separately, in a sign of the likely ascendance of the "Make America Great Again" faction in the Congressional leadership, Trump's strongest allies have backed Rick Scott, a Senator from Florida, to be the Senate majority leader against two other contenders, John Thune and John Cornyn. The race remains close; the vote is on Wednesday, and Trump personally hasn't endorsed any of the candidates.

These appointments carry significance for India given the rising number of illegal Indian immigrants entering America, the presence of legal Indian residents, strengthening India-US engagement at the UN, and the Senate's role in shaping bilateral ties.

Immigration crackdown

Announcing Homan's appointment on Truth Social, Trump said, "I am pleased to announce that the former ICE director, and stalwart on Border Control, Tom Homan, will be joining the Trump administration, in charge of our Nation's Borders ("The Border Czar")." Homan's mandate includes oversight of southern and northern borders, maritime boundaries and aviation security.

Trump praised Homan's border control expertise and specifically tasked him with managing deportation of "illegal aliens." The appointment of Miller, who will coordinate immigration policy across agencies, reinforces Trump's focus on border control. Both Homan and Miller were behind the controversial family separation policy during Trump's first term.