The Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection submitted his resignation on Saturday after a day of stalemate with his boss, the Secretary of Homeland Security, who just days earlier had asked him to resign or be fired. dismissal.
The White House issued a brief statement on Saturday night acknowledging that President Biden had accept the resignation of the commissioner, Chris Magnus, less than a year after appointing him to run one of the largest law enforcement agencies in the world. As commissioner, Mr. Magnus oversees the international borders of the United States, a role that includes border management as well as customs and commerce.
The Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro N. Mayorkas, did not publicly explain why he insisted on asking Mr. Magnus to resign so urgently, and there were no allegations of misconduct.
The Biden administration has faced record illegal border crossings and internal struggle on how to deal with the challenge, which before mid-term was seen as a political loophole with no quick fix.
Republicans have committed Impeach Mr Mayorkas over his border management if they regain control of the House.
In a statement on Saturday night, Mr. Magnus said, “I resign because I believe this decision provides me with the best avenue to advance my commitment to professional policy, innovation and engagement. attached to the community.”
It was an abrupt end to a bizarre episode that began Friday morning when Magnus said he had no plans to step down – a reaction senior leaders at the Department of Homeland Security did not expect. wait. Mr Magnus said Mr Mayorkas had asked him to resign or face firing on Wednesday, telling him he had lost faith in him.
When Mr. Biden appoints Mr. Magnus, a former police chief famous for his reform, he was the agency’s first openly gay commissioner. Democrats hope his decades of experience running police departments and changing a long-standing culture of law enforcement will bring what many see as much needed reform for the Week Service. United States Border Patrol, an agency of the CBP
The Border Patrol has long been criticized for its predominantly white male workforce and persistent problems of discrimination both within the agency and in its treatment of migrants.
Mr. Magnus said that the efforts he has made to address some of those issues have been met with continued opposition from the Border Patrol, which, through its coalition, has been gay. slams the Biden administration on border policies and also called for a Republican-led House of Representatives to impeach Mayorkas. Ultimately, Mr. Magnus said, the secretary sided with the Border Patrol. The union said “good trivia” to Mr. Magnus in a Posts on Twitter on Friday.
“He was so busy pursuing imaginary ‘cultural’ issues at BP that he forgot about his main job,” the union wrote. The union president said Mr Magnus should focus on getting the job done. “BP doesn’t have a culture problem. It has a leadership problem, starting with Biden.”
In a message to the CBP workforce, Mayorkas said, “Commissioner Chris Magnus has resigned and left the agency. We thank Commissioner Magnus for his contributions over the past year and wish him well.”
The deputy commissioner, Troy Miller, has returned to the role of acting commissioner he held before Magnus was confirmed by the Senate late last year.
