Trump’s Pick for DHS Policy Chief Tied to Hate Groups, Anti-DACA Rhetoric
A leaked vetting report shows Robert Law skipped elections, cashed in on government contractors, and spent his career gutting immigration rights.
WASHINGTON — A confidential vetting report on Robert Law, President Trump’s nominee for Undersecretary for Strategy, Policy, and Plans at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), paints a portrait of a man whose career is steeped in the anti-immigrant movement and who once dismissed Dreamers as mere “DACA shields” for their parents.
Law, long described by advocates as the police and legal brain behind many of Stephen Miller’s most aggressive anti-migrant policies in Trump’s first term, previously served as a federal lobbyist for the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR) — an organization the Southern Poverty Law Center has designated a hate group for its ties to white supremacists. He also held senior posts at the Center for Immigration Studies (CIS), another group SPLC links to white nationalism.
The 35-page oppo report, labeled Privileged & Confidential and updated September 5, 2025, highlights potential red flags ahead of Senate confirmation:
Failure to Vote — Records show Law did not cast ballots in the 2016 or 2020 general elections, or in multiple primaries.
Criminal Record — A misdemeanor conviction for reckless speeding in 2004.
Financial Conflicts — Investments in Palantir, Nvidia, Tesla, and other firms with lucrative federal contracts; he pledged to divest within 90 days.
Social Media — Publicly praised Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis’ hardline immigration measures in 2023.
But it is Law’s policy record that alarms immigrant advocates most. As a senior Trump aide in U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, Law helped engineer rule changes that gutted asylum protections, tightened “public charge” restrictions, and made naturalization harder. In public comments, he referred to DACA recipients as “DACA shields” — a phrase immigrant youth say reduced them to pawns in the broader targeting of their parents.
“Robert Law has spent his career finding new ways to attack immigrant families,” said one advocacy leader. “Putting him in charge of DHS policy is like putting the arsonist in charge of the firehouse.”
Law’s nomination also revives memories of the Trump White House’s immigration war room, where he and Stephen Miller forged policies that separated families at the border, slashed refugee admissions to historic lows, and tried to terminate DACA outright.
Despite the report’s findings, Trump allies defend Law as an “uncompromising policy mind” with the toughness needed to “restore order” at DHS.
The Senate passed cloture on Law’s nomination on Thursday. It’s expected to come before the full Senate for a final vote next week.
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