DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Resigns After Clashes With Trump On Immigration
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen abruptly resigned Sunday, as the president continues to fume over continued illegal border crossings. CBS News first reported Nielsen’s impending departure, which Mr. Trump confirmed in a tweet after a 5 p.m. meeting with Nielsen at the White House.
Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan will serve as acting DHS secretary, Mr. Trump announced.
Nielsen tweeted late Sunday that she has “agreed to stay on as secretary through Wednesday, April 10th to assist with an orderly transition and ensure that key DHS missions are not impacted.”
Her departure is a part of a massive DHS overhaul engineered and directed by top Trump adviser Stephen Miller, according to a senior U.S. official. It’s unclear whether Nielsen is deciding to leave voluntarily, or whether she has been pressured to resign.
But Nielsen’s tenure since she was confirmed in December 2017 has at times been rocky, with the president taking some of his frustrations over illegal immigration out on her.
