[h=1]US Homeland Security acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan quits after five months
ointer:Slapping-silly90))
hno:azzkick(&^[/h] Updated about an hour ago (Damn, 4 people in 2 years, that's pretty bad, even for Twittler. MAN, is he unlucky with "all the Best People, lol)
Photo: Mr McAleenan took on the role in April after Kirstjen Nielsen quit. (AP: Pablo Martinez Monsivais)
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Related Story: US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigns
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President Donald Trump says Kevin McAleenan is out as the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and says he will be announcing a new acting secretary in the next week.
[h=2]Key points:[/h]
Mr Trump said on Twitter Mr McAleenan had done an "outstanding job".
"We have worked well together with Border Crossings being Way down," Mr Trump said.
But the President said Mr McAleenan wanted to "spend more time with his family and go to the private sector".
His departure creates yet another top-level vacancy in Mr Trump's Cabinet — at the department responsible not only for immigration enforcement but also for helping states secure elections.
Mr McAleenan thanked the President for his support and, wrote on Twitter he would work with the Department of Homeland Security on a smooth transition.
A longtime US Customs and Border Protection official, Mr McAleenan was seen initially in Mr Trump's circle as a level head who could effectively manage the US Mexico border crisis, despite his stance as a moderate who pushed for aid to be restored to Central American nations.
His tenure played out against a backdrop of outrage amid reports of children being held in squalid conditions on the US border and images of those who died trying to make the trek from Central America.
He took over in April after Kirstjen Nielsen quit, and he was the fourth person to lead the department in two years.
Ms Nielsen was named secretary after her predecessor, John Kelly, became the White House chief of staff in 2017.
Mr Trump had previously threatened to fire Ms Nielsen, who was viewed as resistant to some of the harshest immigration measures supported by the President and his aides, both around the border and on other matters like protected status for some refugees.
Photo: Ms Nielsen quit in April after a tenure marked by tensions with Mr Trump. (AP: Andrew Harnik, file)
Mr Trump has not named anyone to fill the job yet — the acting deputy is David Pekoske, the head of the Transportation Security Administration.
He said he had "many wonderful candidates" to fill the position.
ointer:Slapping-silly90))hno:azzkick(&^[/h] Updated about an hour ago (Damn, 4 people in 2 years, that's pretty bad, even for Twittler. MAN, is he unlucky with "all the Best People, lol)
Photo: Mr McAleenan took on the role in April after Kirstjen Nielsen quit. (AP: Pablo Martinez Monsivais) Related Story: Trump orders firing of Secret Service director amid 'near-systematic purge'
Related Story: US Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigns
Related Story: Trump was talked out of Afghanistan withdrawal, outgoing chief of staff says
President Donald Trump says Kevin McAleenan is out as the acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security and says he will be announcing a new acting secretary in the next week.
[h=2]Key points:[/h]
- Mr McAleenan was the fourth person to lead the department in two years
- He took over in April after Kirstjen Nielsen quit
- Mr Trump has not named a replacement, but said he had "many wonderful candidates" for the job
Mr Trump said on Twitter Mr McAleenan had done an "outstanding job".
"We have worked well together with Border Crossings being Way down," Mr Trump said.
But the President said Mr McAleenan wanted to "spend more time with his family and go to the private sector".
His departure creates yet another top-level vacancy in Mr Trump's Cabinet — at the department responsible not only for immigration enforcement but also for helping states secure elections.
Mr McAleenan thanked the President for his support and, wrote on Twitter he would work with the Department of Homeland Security on a smooth transition.
"We have made tremendous progress mitigating the border security and humanitarian crisis we faced this year," he said.
Homeland Security, a 240,000-person department, is tasked with election security and cybersecurity, disaster response and even the Secret Service.
A longtime US Customs and Border Protection official, Mr McAleenan was seen initially in Mr Trump's circle as a level head who could effectively manage the US Mexico border crisis, despite his stance as a moderate who pushed for aid to be restored to Central American nations.
His tenure played out against a backdrop of outrage amid reports of children being held in squalid conditions on the US border and images of those who died trying to make the trek from Central America.
He took over in April after Kirstjen Nielsen quit, and he was the fourth person to lead the department in two years.
Ms Nielsen was named secretary after her predecessor, John Kelly, became the White House chief of staff in 2017.
Mr Trump had previously threatened to fire Ms Nielsen, who was viewed as resistant to some of the harshest immigration measures supported by the President and his aides, both around the border and on other matters like protected status for some refugees.
Photo: Ms Nielsen quit in April after a tenure marked by tensions with Mr Trump. (AP: Andrew Harnik, file) Mr Trump has not named anyone to fill the job yet — the acting deputy is David Pekoske, the head of the Transportation Security Administration.
He said he had "many wonderful candidates" to fill the position.
