Following reports that Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas told him to resign or expect to be fired, the commissioner of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), Christopher Magnus, has resigned.
Noting that his resignation is “effective immediately,” as his resignation letter submitted to President Biden says, thanking the administration for the tremendous opportunity.
As of Saturday night, deputy CBP commissioner Troy Miller is now acting commissioner of the agency, as Mayorkas told the CBP workforce.
In a statement on Saturday, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre announced that President Biden accepted Magnus’ resignation, emphasizing his appreciation of Magnus’ nearly four decades of service and the contributions he made to police reform while serving as police chief in three US cities.
Magnus was chosen for that position by President Biden mainly because he had spoken against the policies toward immigrants imposed by the Trump administration, but many questioned whether he was qualified for the job considering his background in policing instead of immigration and border enforcement.
The CBP Commissioner has been asked to resign or be fired after he lost the confidence of his bosses following his clashes with immigration officials over how to handle an influx of migrants at the southern US border.
As border crossings have reached historic levels, the Biden administration and specifically CBP has faced harsh criticism.
Following a report that some administration officials described him as too focused on changing the agency’s culture, as unfamiliar with CBP operations, and unengaged at his job, House Republicans called for Magnus to resign earlier this month.
The Secretary of Homeland Security met with Magnus on Wednesday following his decision to not continue a retention bonus for Border Patrol head Raul Ortiz after disagreeing with Ortiz over the planned CBP reforms.
During the meeting – according to three current and one former Department of Homeland Security officials – Mayorkas encouraged Magnus to resign but he initially disagreed, noting in a statement to The Washington Post that he did not plan to resign.
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