U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Christopher Magnus resigned from his position late last week after he was reportedly ordered to quit or be fired.
According to a press release from the White House, President Joe Biden accepted Magnus’ resignation on Saturday. The resignation letter was three sentences long.
“I am submitting my resignation effective immediately but wish you and your administration the very best going forward,” it said. “Thank you again for this tremendous opportunity.”
Fox News reported that a government source said Magnus was told to resign or be terminated by Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. After Mayorkas' warning, Magnus reportedly emailed senior officials in Customs and Border Protection and said that he would remain in his position.
"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 said.
Politico reported last month that five current Biden administration officials who worked with Magnus said that he was “unengaged” with his position. Reportedly, he did not attend White House meetings on the border and did not build relationships with other federal immigration agencies to address the border crisis. Some reportedly said he fell asleep in several meetings, which he attributed to his multiple sclerosis.
Three Department of Homeland Security officials told Politico that Magnus was told on Wednesday to resign or he would be dismissed.
Earlier this month, a group of House Republicans sent a letter to Biden urging him to fire Magnus over his job performance.
“According to a recent report by Politico, Commissioner Magnus continually fails to attend high-level meetings regarding the border crisis. Even worse, he was caught sleeping through some of the meetings he actually attended,” the lawmakers wrote in the letter, which was first obtained by the Daily Caller.
“This behavior is highly problematic considering the United States is experiencing the worst border-crossing crisis in this country’s history, with a record 2,378,944 encounters at the Southern Border for Fiscal Year 2022,” it added. It went on to detail the “massive increase” in border crossings and smuggling attempts since Magnus assumed office in 2021.
“My colleagues and I demand President Biden act swiftly to ensure that the border crisis is overseen by an engaged official who demonstrates competent leadership to address such a complicated issue. U.S. CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus needs to resign. Our nation’s top border official must be focused on ending the border crisis, not naptime,” Rep. Jody Hice (R-GA), who led the letter, told the Caller.
Mayorkas told CBP workers on Saturday evening that deputy commissioner Troy Miller is now the acting commissioner for the agency.
“We are thankful to Commissioner Magnus for his contributions over the past year and wish him well,” Mayorkas wrote to CBP staff, according to Politico.
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