On Friday, we reported that the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Patrol, Chris Magnus, was being forced out of his position. As warranted as his dismissal may be, given the disaster that continues to unfold at our southern border, that Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas remains firmly attached to his title is galling.
In early October, Senators Ted Cruz and Lindsey Graham put Mayorkas on blast, noting numerous grounds for his impeachment. The Senators’ scathing letter outlined Mayorkas’ dereliction of duty, observing:
Despite the heroic efforts by the men and women of Border Patrol, who operate with very little support from Washington, D.C., you have failed to achieve any semblance of operational control of the southern border.
Yet it’s Magnus who’s being shown the door as part of a shake-up at DHS.
Initially, Magnus indicated he would not be exiting voluntarily.
Chris Magnus is resisting leaving the position, after being told by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas to resign or get fired, according to the source. It comes after a record year of migrants seeking to enter the U.S. along the Mexican border.
Following the reported directive from Mayorkas, Magnus sent an e-mail to senior staff members at CBP:
“I want to make this clear: I have no plans to resign as CBP Commissioner. I didn’t take this job as a resume builder. I came to Washington, DC— moved my family here— because I care about this agency, its mission, and the goals of this Administration,” the email obtained by Fox News states.
However, on Saturday, came news that Magnus would, in fact, be tendering his resignation.
Per Fox News, Magnus resigned “effective immediately.”
President Biden accepted Magnus’s resignation letter, according to a Saturday night press release from the White House.
“The President has accepted the resignation of Christopher Magnus, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. President Biden appreciates Commissioner Magnus’ nearly forty years of service and the contributions he made to police reform during his tenure as police chief in three U.S. cities. The President thanks Mr. Magnus for his service at CBP and wishes him well,” White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said.
In his brief resignation letter, addressed to President Biden, Magnus stated:
Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Senate confirmed Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection over the past year. It has been a privilege and honor to be part of your administration.
I am submitting my resignation effective immediately but wish you and your administration the very best going forward. Thank you again for this tremendous opportunity.
What additional moves will be made at DHS as part of this restructuring remains to be seen. However, it does not appear that Mayorkas will be going anywhere soon — and given the Republicans’ failure to take control of the Senate, no impeachment is in the offing either.
