(AFP) – Michael Banks, the US Border Patrol chief, resigned on Thursday, the latest senior immigration enforcement official to leave the Trump administration.
“We thank US Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks for his decades of service to this country,” Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott said. “During his time as chief, the border was transformed from chaos to the most secure border ever recorded,” Scott said in a statement.
President Donald Trump campaigned for the White House on a pledge to prevent crossings of the US-Mexico border and expel millions of undocumented migrants. Under Banks, the Border Patrol became involved in immigration operations away from the border, with agents carrying out roundups of migrants in major cities across the country.
Trump replaced Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem in March and demoted a high-profile CBP commander. Todd Lyons, the acting leader of the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency, has announced plans to step down later this month.
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