Head of US Customs and Border Protection resigns amid record number of migrants crossing the border

• CBP head Chris Magnus tendered his resignation.
• The White House has accepted his resignation.
• There are a record number of migrants crossing the border.

In the midst of controversy and uncertainty due to the immigration crisis in the United States, this morning the resignation of Chris Magnus, the head of US Customs and Border Protection was made official. We’ve got all the details.

The head of the United States Customs and Border Protection (CBP) has resigned from his post at the nation’s largest law enforcement agency at a time when agents are facing a record number of migrants crossing into United States from Mexico.

CBP head Chris Magnus resigns

Chris Magnus presented his resignation to President Biden on Saturday, saying that it had been «a privilege and honor» to be part of the government. White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said Biden had accepted Magnus’ resignation.

«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,» she added, according to The Associated Press.

His dismissal comes after uncertainty due to the migration crisis

Two people who had been briefed on Magnus’ departure told The Associated Press on Friday that he had been told to resign or else he would be fired less than a year after he was confirmed for the job. The sources requested anonymity because they were not authorized to comment on the matter.

Magnus’s resignation is part of the extensive changes at Homeland Security in the face of difficulties in stemming the tide of migrants from numerous countries. This situation precedes the possibility that the Republicans will take control of the House of Representatives in January when they are expected to launch investigations related to the border.

Was he forced to resign?

According to El Informador, the US Secretary of Homeland Security, Alejandro Mayorkas, requested the resignation of Commissioner Chris Magnus, for his handling of the border between the United States and Mexico, US media reported on Friday.

Appointed by President Joe Biden, Chris Magnus was confirmed in his position in December 2021 by the US Senate, a position he was offered when he was police chief of the border city of Tucson, Arizona.

CBP Chief Chris Magnus says he was forced out

The San Diego Union Tribune reports that Chris Magnus was forced from his post as head of the nation’s largest law enforcement agency at a time when border agents are encountering a record number of migrants entering the country across the south border.

Proof of this, migrants were detained 2.38 million times at the border with Mexico in the fiscal year that ended on September 30, an increase of 37% over the previous year. The annual total exceeded two million for the first time in August and is more than double the highest level recorded in 2019 during Donald Trump’s presidency.