Everything You Need to Know About Kirsten Nielsen’s Resignation
Homeland Security Secretary Kirsten Nielsen abruptly resigned this weekend following a likely not-so-successful meeting with President Trump. If you are flipping through headline after headline trying to wrap your head around what it means, you should know this is probably not good, and it can very well worsen the situation with the US-Mexican border. Here’s what you need to know about this week’s news.
Who is Kirsten Nielsen?
Nielsen is an attorney who was George W. Bush’s special assistant during his administration and John F. Kelly’s chief of staff (and ultimately his deputy chief of staff) at the Department of Homeland Security following the Trump presidency. After Kelly was selected as White House chief of staff, Nielsen took over in December 2017.
During her tenure, Nielsen became best known for her fiercely defended policies that resulted in family separation on the US-Mexico border, arguing that separation and detention kept children safe. “We have a duty to protect the American people, and I take it very seriously,” she said at a White House briefing in June 2018 .
Several lawmakers, including Senator Kamala Harris and then-minority leader Nancy Pelosi, have called for her resignation. In a tweet, Pelosi called Nielsen’s secession policy “morally reprehensible.”
Does Trump really like her then?
Not really. Various reports indicate that Trump and Nielsen have had tensions throughout her time as secretary.
Back in May 2018, Nielsen nearly resigned. As the New York Times wrote , Trump’s tirade accused her of failing to ensure the security of the US borders. (About a month later, she defended Trump’s secession policy in a White House briefing.)
Likely prompting her resignation, Trump pressured Nielsen to become even more aggressive in trying to stop migrants from crossing the border. Nielsen was disappointed by the lack of support from other parts of the White House and went into a meeting with Trump on Sunday unsure whether she would be fired or step down, Time reports.
“I decided it was time for me to step aside,” she wrote later in her letter of resignation . “I hope the next secretary will have the backing of Congress and the courts in passing laws that have hampered our ability to fully secure America’s borders and that have fostered discourse in our nation’s discourse.”
Did you have anything to say to Trump about the resignation?
Not really. He thanked her for her service in a tweet and announced Nielsen’s replacement.
Who will replace her?
Kevin McAlynan, Commissioner for Customs and Border Protection, will become acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security from Thursday. (Nielsen will remain secretary until April 10.) McAlinan previously served as deputy commissioner for the Obama administration’s border guard. He, too, defended Trump’s family separation policies, advocated punishment for those who cross the border illegally, and encouraged investment in border security .
Currently, Trump’s three offices are run by acting secretaries, not those approved by the Senate, as the Times wrote.
This is probably bad, right?
Yes, it is possible. Last week, Trump declined to its candidate to head the ICE, is reportedly seeking a “tighter” the candidate that does not bode well for someone who could eventually take the place of Nielsen. Ahead of 2020, Trump is struggling to do everything in his power ahead of the election, including getting rid of his own appointees for vehement and unconditional supporters.