Chris Magnus, US Customs and Border Protection commissioner, has no intention of resigning from his position. Fox News (which obtained access to an email sent by Magnus to senior Customs and Border Protection personnel) reported that despite being asked by Homeland Security Sec. Alejandro N. Mayorkas to resign from his position, he refuses to do so:
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.
This is a new setback for the Biden Administration, which is dealing with internal disagreements caused by the CBP commissioner's attitude. According to CNN, Magnus has been criticized for being out of touch with the agency and for publicly disagreeing with U.S.-Mexico border policy or Title 42.
U.S. borders are not open regardless of Title 42 status. Anyone crossing without legal authorization who is unable to establish a legal basis to remain will be removed from the U.S. pic.twitter.com/aLm4tF0NG6
- CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus (@CBPChrisMagnus) May 27, 2022
Magnus, who prior to accepting the position was the former police chief in Tucson, Arizona, has been on the job for nearly a year. Throughout his tenure, migrants apprehended at the border have been on the rise. According to Department of Homeland Security data, nearly 2.4 million migrants were apprehended at the border during this fiscal year (which ended in September). This is a 37% increase compared to last year.
GOP congressmen called for him to be fired earlier this month
Mayorkas is not alone in wanting Chris Magnus to step down. On November 1, several Republican members of the House of Representatives sent a letter to Biden calling for the removal of the current US Customs and Border Protection commissioner, as well as the immediate firing of Alejandro Mayorkas himself.
.@townhallcom received an exclusive on letter @RepBryanSteil sent to DHS Sec. Alejandro Mayorkas and CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus demanding answers as to why they have not done their job on securing the border. Here's the letter in question. pic.twitter.com/P6mw0HUWfl
- Rebecca Downs (@RebeccaRoseGold) September 28, 2022
In the letter, they referred to the fact that Magnus was not committed to his work and that he did not attend the meetings held at the White House on the border crisis. He responded to these accusations on his Twitter account by making it clear that he will not resign from his position.
"five unnamed officials leveled accusations against Magnus."
Of course I will continue to serve with pride, commitment to do the right thing, and a positive outlook that we can make continued progress on many important issues. https://t.co/t5BAL9q9bc
- CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus (@CBPChrisMagnus) November 3, 2022
