CBP Head Resigns Amid DHS Tension, Border Tumult
The head of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) resigned after less than a year on the job, as a surge of migrants continue to cross the border and internal tension rises in the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
Commissioner Chris Magnus turned in a brief resignation letter on Saturday, which President Biden accepted. Commissioner Magnus assumed the position last December after 50 to 47 confirmation vote split on party line. During his confirmation hearing, many Senate Republicans opposed the nominee by arguing he was a proponent of “open borders.”
In a statement, White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said, “The President thanks Mr. Magnus for his service at CBP and wishes him well.”
CBP has been a center for controversy as agents battle a record surge of migrant arrests and a polarized political climate. NPR reports that migrant arrests at the U.S.-Mexico border hit a record high of more than 2.3 million in the last fiscal year, which ended in September. That is a 37 percent increase over the prior year.
Some of the finger pointing had been aimed at now former-Commissioner Magnus. The Los Angeles Times reports that DHS Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas asked Commissioner Magnus to resign last week, which Commissioner Magnus initially refused to do. Then-Commissioner Magnus told the LA Times that Secretary Mayorkas said he “lost confidence in him,” but added, “I am excited about the progress I made and look forward continuing that work.”
The tussle between Secretary Mayorkas and then-Commissioner Magnus comes after an October 17 Politico report, which said the CBP Commissioner was “unengaged in his job,” skipped White House meetings, failed to build relationships, and “badmouthed” other agencies like Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
Troy Miller, a career CBP official, was named acting commissioner effective immediately. Miller had been the acting commissioner before Magnus assumed the role, overseeing 60,000 employees.