*Stephen Miller, an architect of Trump’s hard-line immigration agenda, becomes White House chief of staff today. Houston is scaling back police cooperation with ICE, ICE’s own reviews cite deficient care in 23 of 29 detainee deaths, a judge is making New York City give ICE the names of some Bronx shelter residents, and an 8-year-old Haitian boy is in federal custody after a San Diego check-in.*

## Trump elevates Stephen Miller to White House chief of staff after midterm losses

President Trump announced Nov. 6 that Stephen Miller will be White House chief of staff starting Nov. 9. Miller has pushed for 3,000 immigration arrests a day, [BBC News Mundo recounts in a profile republished by Prensa Libre](https://www.prensalibre.com/internacional/bbc-news-mundo-internacional/quien-es-stephen-miller-el-arquitecto-de-la-dura-politica-migratoria-de-trump-designado-nuevo-jefe-de-gabinete-de-la-casa-blanca/). [BBC News Mundo (via Prensa Libre)]

U.S. officials told [CBS News they expect no pullback in enforcement](https://www.cbsnews.com/news/ice-crackdown-stephen-miller-illegal-immigration/), citing Miller’s promotion. Democrats plan to challenge the administration’s immigration agenda once they take control of Congress, [the Associated Press reports](https://apnews.com/article/immigration-democrats-congress-trump-stephen-miller-8f976e0a67472f789348f1ce7bad1052). [CBS News, Associated Press]

## Houston police to cut back cooperation with ICE

Mayor John Whitmire announced that [Houston police will reduce their cooperation with ICE](https://www.houstonpublicmedia.org/articles/news/city-of-houston/2026/11/06/566458/houston-mayor-john-whitmire-announces-hpd-will-reduce-ice-cooperation-following-midterm-results/) after the midterm results, turning the ordinance debate covered in the Nov. 5 Daybook into city policy. [Houston Public Media]

[The New York Times reports the move as a change of course for Whitmire](https://www.nytimes.com/2026/11/06/us/houston-mayor-john-whitmire-immigration-ice-cooperation.html), and [KHOU gathered reactions from local officials and immigrant advocates](https://www.khou.com/article/news/local/houston-ice-policy-reaction/285-c8a95b2a-059e-4f20-8733-6fbe720709a1). [The New York Times, KHOU]

## ICE death investigations put medical care under scrutiny

ICE’s own investigators cited deficient medical care in 23 of the 29 detainee-death reviews [obtained by the San Francisco Chronicle](https://www.sfchronicle.com/us-world/article/ice-detainee-medical-care-investigations-22495407.php). The reviews cover deaths from January 2025 through January 2026 and document at least eight cases in which CPR was done incorrectly or not at all. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Members of Congress are demanding answers about [Guillermo Pascual Verganza’s October death at Otay Mesa Detention Center](https://inewsource.org/2026/11/06/congress-demands-immigration-investigation-otay-mesa-death/); its cause is still under investigation. [inewsource]

## Judge orders NYC to give ICE names of some Bronx shelter residents

Judge Lewis Kaplan ordered New York City to give ICE identifying information for some male residents of a Bronx shelter. A court-appointed reviewer will narrow what the city hands over to residents with serious criminal histories, not the full list ICE sought, [Gothamist reports](https://gothamist.com/news/federal-judge-rules-mamdani-administration-must-give-ice-names-of-bronx-shelter-residents). [Gothamist]

The ruling follows repeated fights over ICE subpoenas for shelter residents’ records, [the New York Daily News reports](https://www.nydailynews.com/2026/11/07/federal-judge-rules-nyc-must-give-ice-names-of-bronx-shelter-residents/). [New York Daily News]

## ICE detains an 8-year-old Haitian boy at a San Diego check-in

An 8-year-old Haitian boy was [taken into federal custody after a scheduled Nov. 4 immigration appointment in San Diego](https://www.kpbs.org/news/border-immigration/2026/11/06/haitian-boy-8-detained-during-scheduled-immigration-appointment). DHS says his uncle could not establish legal guardianship and that the boy was placed with the Office of Refugee Resettlement. [KPBS]

School officials say the uncle was the boy’s authorized caregiver and are [asking federal officials to return him](https://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/ice-takes-8-year-old-haitian-boy-into-custody-at-san-diego-check-in/4098472/?os&ref=app). [The Haitian Times also reports calls for his return](https://haitiantimes.com/2026/11/08/ice-detains-8-year-old-haitian-boy-san-diego/). [NBC San Diego, The Haitian Times]

## Around the system

- [Immigrant foster children in Massachusetts are being served removal orders](https://www.masslive.com/news/2026/11/immigrant-foster-children-in-mass-are-being-served-orders-of-removal.html). Foster placement does not itself confer immigration status, and Special Immigrant Juvenile classification can leave children waiting years for a visa before they can apply for permanent residency. [MassLive]

- [A federal judge ordered the release of former DACA beneficiary Iván De Haro Villagrana](https://www.univision.com/noticias/politica/juez-federal-ordena-liberar-a-beneficiario-de-daca-detenido-ilegalmente-por-el-gobierno-de-trump) on Nov. 2, finding his warrantless immigration arrest during a North Dakota traffic stop unlawful. His DACA protection had not been renewed since around 2021, after a drunken-driving conviction. [Univision]

- [Wisconsin state trooper Carel Aaron Van Der Merwe was released from ICE custody](https://www.weau.com/2026/11/06/wisconsin-state-trooper-onalaska-detained-by-ice/) on Nov. 6, his lawyer said. He remains in removal proceedings under supervision, with regular ICE check-ins and monitoring. [WEAU]

- [A federal judge threw out the Justice Department’s challenge to Philadelphia’s ordinance](https://www.inquirer.com/news/philadelphia/ice-out-lawsuit-immigration-jail-detainers-philadelphia-20261106.html) barring the city from holding people otherwise eligible for release solely on immigration grounds. Judge Chad F. Kenney ruled that complying with ICE detainer requests is voluntary. [The Philadelphia Inquirer]

- New York’s attorney general and governor [told county executives and sheriffs to end agreements to house people for federal civil immigration violations by Nov. 25](https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2026/attorney-general-james-and-governor-hochul-notify-local-officials-obligation-end), as the Local Cops, Local Crimes Act requires. Detention for pending federal criminal charges, court orders or judicial warrants is still allowed. [New York Attorney General]

- New Mexico immigrant groups [urged lawmakers to restrict local police handoffs to ICE](https://sourcenm.com/2026/11/06/new-mexico-immigrant-groups-urge-legislature-to-crack-down-on-local-police-handoffs-to-ice-agents/), releasing records they say show cooperation through traffic stops, jail lists and direct transfers. Two state lawmakers are drafting legislation for the session that begins in January. [Source New Mexico]

- AILA and the American Immigration Council [urged DHS to withdraw its proposed Optional Practical Training fees](https://www.aila.org/advocacy-tools/aila-and-the-council-submit-comment-in-opposition-to-opt-fee-proposed-rule): $70,000 for an initial period and $30,000 for a later one. [AILA]

- Scammers are [using AI-generated impersonations of immigration lawyers](https://documentedny.com/2026/11/06/abogados-creados-ia-estafas-legales/) and copied TikTok videos to sell fake legal services. The accounts steer prospective clients to contact and payment details unconnected to the real law firms. [Documented]