On Saturday, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus resigned after being pressured to do so by senior officials in the Biden administration.
Magnus first rejected Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro N. Mayorkas’ request for resignation, saying he would not propose Magnus’ dismissal to President Joe Biden because of a lack of trust in his leadership at the border. After an interview with The Los Angeles Times in which Magnus stated that he saw no reason to provide notice, DHS officials successfully lobbied for him to change his mind. But he said Mayorkas gave him the ultimatum because he disobeyed an order not to meet with border patrol officials in El Paso this week and because he refused to prolong a “retention” payment for Border Patrol Chief Raul Ortiz.
“I resigned because I feel this choice offers me the greatest way to further my dedication to professional, innovative, and community-engaged police,” Magnus told The Los Angeles Times. “I’m grateful for the chance to serve and to have worked with so many committed people.”
In an email to the Border Patrol staff, Mayorkas allegedly thanked Magnus for his service and informed them that they would now report to Deputy Commissioner Troy Miller.
Biden has accepted the resignation of the head of the most significant enforcement agency in the country, which has over 60,000 personnel, according to the White House.
Secretary of State Karine Jean-Pierre told NPR that Vice President Joe Biden was “grateful” for Commissioner Magnus’ “almost forty years of service” and “the contributions he made to police reform” while he was chief of police in three different American cities. To Mr. Magnus, the President extends his appreciation for his time working at CBP and best wishes for his future.
After more than a dozen Republicans in the House of Representatives demanded that Magnus quit as the first openly homosexual border commissioner, he came under increasing pressure from Biden administration officials.
Lawmakers reportedly accused Magnus of ignoring the southern border problem during the Biden administration by not attending White House events, dozing off during meetings, and preoccupying himself with the agency’s culture.
It has been estimated by the Federation for American Immigration Reform that five million people have crossed the border since the Biden administration took office and rolled back many of President Trump’s border security measures, such as Title 42, which gave border patrol agents the authority to prohibit migrants from entering the country if the removal would prevent the spread of contagious diseases.
According to Magnus, the approach used during the epidemic “comes at a severe cost to many asylum applicants” who are trying to enter the United States from communist countries collapsing.
According to the Politico article, Magnus reportedly asked for an emergency meeting with Mayorkas and other senior DHS officials last year after compiling a list of complaints that blamed Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and other agencies for the border problem.
Magnus wasn’t “in the game,” as one of the five unnamed administration officials who attended the discussion with Politico put it.
The official said that Tom is present at “every meeting” that takes place. We’ll be on the verge of reaching a resolution when Magnus interrupts with a minor point that he insists on making, and we’ll all be left wondering, “What the f*** is that about?”
When questioned by The Washington Post, Magnus strongly refuted the claims and said he moved to the nation’s capital “because I care about this agency, its mission, and the goals of this Administration” rather than using the job to pad his resume.
The publicity surrounding Magnus’ resignation request has been counterproductive, according to former Border Patrol chief and current ICE director Ron Vitiello, who told the Los Angeles Times that the Biden administration had mishandled immigration policy.
After initially being excluded from border policy meetings, Magnus told the Los Angeles Times that he eventually became an integral part of most of the most important talks.
A former top official in the Obama administration’s Homeland Security Department, John Sandweg, told the Los Angeles Times that Mayorkas would rather not deal with other problems while the border is experiencing “raging issues” rather than focus on cultural reforms.
After working as a police officer in Michigan, North Dakota, and California, Biden authorities recruited Magnus while he was serving as police chief in Tucson, Arizona.