Top US border official Christopher Magnus resigns

A top U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, Christopher Magnus, has resigned from his appointment with the Biden administration.

“I am submitting my resignation effective immediately, but wish you and your administration the very best.

 “Thank you again for this tremendous opportunity,” Magnus said in a letter.

A White House statement on Saturday said President Joe Biden has accepted Magnus’ resignation.

The statement comes a day after U.S. media said Magnus had been asked to resign or was fired in a sign of tension within Biden’s administration over a record number of migrant crossings at the U.S.-Mexico border.

“This decision provides me with the best path for advancing my commitment to professional, innovative, and community-engaged policing,” Magnus told reporters.

Homeland security secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, who oversees the agency, said in a letter that Deputy Commissioner Troy Miller will immediately take up the role of acting commissioner.

Also Read: Customs Service Boss vows to Secure Nigeria’s Border

Magnus, 62, was confirmed in December as commissioner of the 60,000-strong agency that oversees border security, trade and travel.

He had worked for police departments in Michigan, North Dakota and California before becoming police chief in Tucson, Arizona, in 2016.

When Biden nominated Magnus for the commissioner’s role in 2021, the White House touted him as a reformer focused on establishing community trust in law enforcement and holding officers accountable.

The number of migrants arrested at the U.S.-Mexico border has soared to record highs under Biden.

Biden officials have said they aim to create a more orderly and humane immigration system, but have struggled to tackle the accompanying operational and political challenges.

A sharp rise in border arrivals of Cubans, Venezuelans, and Nicaraguans has led to record arrests of migrants driven by problems such as poverty, violence and food insecurity.

Zainab Sa’id