The commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection is refusing to leave his position after being told to resign or be fired by Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, according to a government source.
Chris Magnus wrote in an email to senior Customs and Border Protection staff that he is determined to remain on the job.
‘I want to make this clear: I have no plans to resign as CBP Commissioner. I didn’t take this job as a resume builder. I came to Washington, DC— moved my family here— because I care about this agency, its mission, and the goals of this Administration,’ the letter obtained by Fox News states.
Fox News reported on Friday that Magnus is being forced out of his job, which comes after a record-breaking year for the number of migrants attempting to enter the United States through the southern border.
The Department of Homeland Security and Customs and Border Protection have not responded to requests for comment from Fox News.
In early November, a group of Republican House members sent a letter to President Biden asking him to fire Magnus, referring to recent media reports on his job performance.
Magnus has been in his job for nearly a year.
Statistics from the Department of Homeland Security show that nearly 2.4 million migrants were detained at the border in the fiscal year that ended in September, which is a 37% increase from last year.
Other than overseeing record border figures, Magnus has been in the hot seat for several controversies.
In October 2021, Fox News reported that he settled a sexual harassment and retaliation case stemming from a former Richmond, California, police officer in 2017, during his tenure as police chief.
In October, Politico reported that Magnus fell asleep during meetings.
In a statement to Fox News in October, Magnus attempted to defend his performance as Customs and Border Protection commissioner.
‘I care a great deal about CBP and the people who work here. In the 10 months I’ve been CBP’s Commissioner, I’ve gotten up to speed on the agency’s many complex areas of responsibility,’ Magnus said. ‘While CBP is an operational — not a policy-making — agency, I’ve been closely involved in the major DHS immigration, border security, trade, and other policy discussions throughout my time as Commissioner. I frequently share insights from CBP’s frontline law enforcement and civilian personnel in those discussions and will continue to do so.’
