In a statement on Saturday, the White House said the United States President Joe Biden has accepted the resignation of the country’s Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner, Christopher Magnus. This comes a day after Magnus had spoken to the media about an official from the president’s administration who allegedly asked him to resign or be fired.
Magnus claims that he had been asked to step down or be fired from the role, by Homeland Security Secretary, Alejandro Mayorkas, who is also a Biden administration cabinet member who oversees the CBP, said a report by Reuters citing media reports. However, he was adamant about not resigning, due to his commitment to the agency, the report added.
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The now-former CBP commissioner’s resignation was effective immediately, in which he also wished Biden and his administration the best and thanked him for this “tremendous opportunity.” This comes as the Biden administration has witnessed a record number of migrant crossings at the US-Mexico border since he the incumbent president took office in 2021.
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In a statement, Mayorkas said that Deputy Commissioner Troy Miller will become the acting commissioner. Meanwhile, the White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said that the US president thanked Magnus for his nearly 40 years of service and “wishes him well”.
Magnus was confirmed by the US Senate last year at a time when the agency was dealing with arresting a record number of people at the border as well as amid the Covid-19 travel restrictions.
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While the Biden administration has said that they aim to create a more organised and humane immigration system they still struggle with it, while the Republicans have repeatedly criticised their policies saying they are too lenient.
(With inputs from agencies)
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