Retirements Shuffle Leadership Positions at U.S. Border Patrol, CBP, ICE
There are some personnel changes at Department of Homeland Security (DHS) agencies charged with dealing with immigration—U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). These changes come amid intense scrutiny over the Biden Administration’s border policies and the recent end of Title 42.
U.S. Border Patrol Leadership
At CBP, a few changes were recently announced. With U.S. Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz retiring at the end of June, CBP announced that Chief Jason Owens will take his place as the 26th chief of U.S. Border Patrol.
Chief Owens is a 25-year veteran of Border Patrol and most recently served as head of the Del Rio section, which stretches 245 miles along the Texas-Mexico border.
“Chief Owens is a talented, selfless, and inspiring leader who is dedicated to the Border Patrol’s law enforcement mission, the men and women who fulfill it, and the country that we all serve,” said DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas in a statement.
Acting CBP Director Troy Miller also applauded Chief Owens’s appointment, noting that he has held key leadership positions at every level in Border Patrol.
Chief Ortiz meanwhile departs after managing Border Patrol and its 20,000 agents through the Covid-19 pandemic, the implementation of Title 42 health restrictions, and the recent rollback of Title 42.
Broader CBP Changes
Meanwhile, the second-highest career official at CBP, Acting Deputy Commissioner Benjamine “Carry” Huffman, will retire at the end of June after 38 years of service.
Acting Commissioner Miller wrote about Huffman, saying, “Since June 2021, he has been by my side every day, serving as CBP’s second highest career official and leading the day-to-day operations of our agency while supporting our 65,000-strong workforce.”
Acting Deputy Commissioner Huffman will be replaced by Peter R. Flores, who’s currently the Executive Assistant Commissioner (EAC) for the Office of Field Operations, where he leads 31,000 uniformed and civilian personnel.
Deputy EAC Diane Sabatino will serve as the Acting Executive Assistant Commissioner for the Office of Field Operations.
ICE Changes
There are changes coming at ICE too; Acting Director Tae Johnson is retiring after 30 years at the agency.
In a statement, DHS Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas applauded Acting Director Johnson for his career, and noted past and present accomplishments, including leading operations to crack down on fentanyl trafficking and guiding the agency through the end of Title 42.
“I have personally benefitted from his frank assessments, solid judgment, and his deep expertise drawn from decades of experience,” Secretary Mayorkas said in a statement.
ICE has been without a permanent director since 2017. President Biden’s nominee to be director, Harris County, Texas Sheriff Ed Gonzalez, withdrew from consideration after his confirmation vote stalled due in part to concerns over an alleged domestic violence incident.