U.S. Customs and Border Protection Head Was Asked To Resign But Refused

Senate Considers Chris Magnus For Next CBP Commissioner

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U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus was asked to resign by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas this week amid discontent among rank-and-file agents over his handling of the situation at the southern border.

Magnus spoke with the Los Angles Times and confirmed that he met with Mayorkas on Wednesday after defying orders not to attend a meeting with border patrol chiefs in El Paso the day before. He said that Mayorkas asked him to resign, but he refused. He was then told by Mayorkas that if he refused to step down, he would recommend to President Joe Biden that he be fired. 

On Thursday, Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security John Tien met with Magnus and reiterated that he would be fired if he refused to resign.

"I expressed to him that I felt there was no justification for me to resign when I still cared deeply about the work I was doing and felt that that work was focused on the things I was hired to do in the first place," Magnus told the paper.

"I am excited about the progress I made and look forward to continuing that work," he added.

The Department of Homeland Security has not commented on the report.


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