On Sunday afternoon, President Donald Trump announced that Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen will resign, and the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner will take her place.
“Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will be leaving her position, and I would like to thank her for her service,” Trump tweeted. “I am pleased to announce that Kevin McAleenan, the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, will become Acting Secretary for [DHS]. I have confidence that Kevin will do a great job!”
Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will be leaving her position, and I would like to thank her for her service….
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) April 7, 2019
Nielsen’s departure is part of a massive DHS overhaul at the hands of Trump adviser Stephen Miller, CBS News reported. It remains unclear whether Nielsen has decided to leave voluntary or whether she has been pressured to resign.
She has served as DHS secretary since December 2017, and she has fiercely defended many controversial immigration policies. Despite Trump’s crackdown at the southern border, the president has voiced frustration over the high levels of illegal immigration.
Trump has announced his desire to go in a “tougher” direction.
Nielsen has faced a great deal of harassment as DHS secretary. Last year, liberal protesters shouted her out of a Washington, D.C., restaurant and then protested outside her home using a bullhorn, keeping her up at night.
Last May, before the harassment, The New York Times reported that Nielsen was close to resigning after Trump reportedly berated her in a cabinet meeting.
Follow Tyler O’Neil, the author of this article, on Twitter at @Tyler2ONeil.
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