Furious White House clash as Trump overrules Stephen Miller on visa plan: ‘You can’t pull something like that’

Stephen Miller’s draconian proposal to end a visa program allowing foreigners into the country was torpedoed at the highest levels of the Trump administration, according to two sources familiar with the discussions.

The White House killed Miller’s plot to end a visa waiver program in order to preserve the vitality of 2026 World Cup, where millions of people are expected to visit America in June and July.

Miller’s proposal would not only be a public relations nightmare, it would cost billions in lost revenue.

‘You can’t pull something like that when you’re expecting a surge in tourism dollars,’ one White House source said.

‘When you are about to make all that money from foreigners… I mean, it’s just a bad look and it doesn’t work,’ a second State Department source told the Daily Mail, adding that Miller’s opponents included White House chief of staff Susie Wiles and President Trump himself. 

The floated plans would also undercut the administration’s own narrative. Trump has repeatedly touted the World Cup as a global showcase for America, acknowledging the millions of dollars in revenue and even threatening to move the Cup out of cities he views as unsafe.

According to a source, both Homeland Security and State Department officials have reportedly expressed frustration that their immigration proposals, on things relating to visa restrictions, travel bans and deportation efforts, get hung up at the White House level, a complication further exacerbated by Miller on many occasions. 

‘He makes things more difficult. He thinks he is the lead on immigration, and that makes it awkward for the departments that are actually supposed to be handling these issues,’ one White House source said. 

Miller did not respond to a request for comment on the story. 

According to Fifa’s website, 18 of the 48 teams have qualified, including some on the travel ban list, such as Iran. 

Other confirmed countries include Australia, Uzbekistan, Jordan, Korea, Japan, Morocco, Tunisia, Argentina, Brazil, Colombia, Paraguay, Ecuador, Uruguay and New Zealand.

The 2026 World Cup will feature an expanded 48–team format, up from 32 in previous years. This change increases the number of matches to 104 games, making it the largest World Cup in history.

Millions of international fans are expected to attend, putting increased pressure on the visa processing systems. As a result, the State Department says it plans to to increase staffing at embassies to handle the influx of people attending the event.

The Visa Waiver program allows citizens from roughly 40 allied countries to travel to American for tourism or business without needing to obtain a visa. Instead, they must fill out an online form called ESTA (Electronic System for Travel Authorization), which is typically approved within a few days. Once granted, it allows them to stay in the US for up to 90 days at a time.

Every year, tens of millions of travelers use through this program. In 2023, more than 18 million people came under the visa waiver system, spending an estimated $84 billion while visiting, according to the Department of Homeland Security.

The visa waiver allows visitors to remain in the US for up to three months, but it does not permit extensions or changes to immigration status. 

Miller’s plan to scrap the visa waiver program would have barred millions of tourists and business travelers from entering the US without a full visa –– requiring them to go through lengthy interviews and approval processes.

There are occasional concerns about travelers overstaying their permitted time, but federal data shows the overstay rate among visa-waiver travelers is less than half a percent, far lower than for those entering on traditional visas.

For the 2026 World Cup, most fans from visa-waiver countries would use ESTA to enter the US helping streamline entry during what is expected to be a massive surge in international travel. Players and coaches, on the other hand, typically arrive on special sports–related visas, since they are working during the event. 

A State Department spokesman told the Daily Mail that any athlete, coach or immediate relative of a player traveling for the World Cup or Olympic Games are exempted from the travel ban. However, this does not apply to fans.

‘We encourage prospective foreign travelers who will need US visas to apply now!  DO NOT WAIT!’ the spokesman told the Daily Mail.

This tension between national security policy and global sporting diplomacy is what reportedly fueled internal conflict around Miller’s proposal. While the idea was shelved at the time, the conversation hints at broader tensions between notable security hardliners such as Miller and economic considerations within US immigration policy debates.

The White House and State Department recently announced a slew of visa restrictions and immigration policies. They include things like new measures for international student visa restrictions, travel bans and a mass review of hundreds of thousands of visas.

Under the latest directive from the Trump administration, foreign students in the United States will face a strict four–year cap on their academic tenure.

State Department officials are also investigating all 55 million foreigners in the United States on visas, looking for threats, overstays and ‘terrorist activity.’

Both sources say it wasn’t clear if the White House completely quashed Miller’s plan or is just choosing to delay it following the World Cup games, which conclude July 19, 2026.