Washington, Apr 7 (EFE).- President Donald Trump on Sunday evening announced the departure of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and said that she would be replaced by the current Customs and Border Protection commissioner, Kevin McAleenan.
“Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will be leaving her position, and I would like to thank her for her service,” said Trump on Twitter.
“….I am pleased to announce that Kevin McAleenan, the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, will become Acting Secretary for @DHSgov. I have confidence that Kevin will do a great job!” said the president in a subsequent tweet.
Some media outlets had reported that Nielsen had gone to the White House on Sunday afternoon not intending to resign but rather to meet with Trump and discuss a future immigration agenda, although the appointment had not been noted on the president’s official weekend schedule.
Nielsen had become the official charged with executing Trump’s immigration policies, which have received widespread criticism by the Democratic opposition and numerous social groups over what they consider to be a lack of humanity being shown toward migrants by the administration.
There has been widespread speculation for months about Nielsen’s departure, especially after the resignation of White House Chief of Staff John Kelly, who had proposed that she succeed him at DHS when he left that agency to become Trump’s righthand man.
However, her job did not appear to be immediately in jeopardy until media reports began circulating Sunday afternoon that she had presented her resignation to Trump.
In her letter of resignation, which was released be several media outlets, Nielsen wrote: “I hereby resign from the position of Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), effective April 7th 2018 (sic),” going on to say that “Despite our progress in reforming homeland security for a new age, I have determined that it is the right time for me to step aside. ”
Trump has repeatedly expressed his frustration with the current legislation and procedures for handling migrants.
Nielsen’s tenure as DHS chief has been fraught with controversy as Trump has increased pressure on immigration officials to carry out his campaign – and other – promises to halt the entry of illegal migrants, an issue that he feels is of paramount importance to his political base.
Trump has reportedly expressed extreme frustration in private that Nielsen has not been able to prevent the inflow of migrants or to enact more rigorous immigration rules.
America’s Voice, along with other social organizations, did not delay in reacting to her departure, saying on the social networks that Nielsen “may have resigned, but her legacy will always be tied to family separations, which have taken thousands of children away from their parents and left them with powerful psychological consequences.”