The incoming Trump administration plans to appoint a Texas border czar to head the U.S. Border Patrol, replacing the career official who currently leads the agency charged with stemming the illegal flow of immigrants and drugs.
Mike Banks, leader of Texas Gov. Greg Abbott border crackdownThe Border Patrol captain is expected to be named after President-elect Donald Trump is sworn in, two people familiar with the matter told CBS News on Thursday.
banks will replace existing Border Patrol Captain Jason Owensis a 28-year veteran career officer with the agency. Owens will retire from government service in April, two U.S. officials told CBS News.
In an internal message sent to agents Thursday and obtained by CBS News, Owens said the opportunity to serve as Border Patrol captain was "the highest honor I have ever received."
"Looking forward, I will be deeply optimistic about its future and the future of our country," Owens wrote. "I will take comfort in knowing that you are on our front lines, standing between the innocent and evil."
Banks' appointment would be a departure from the Border Patrol's general practice of being led by career government officials rather than political appointees.
A former U.S. Customs and Border Protection official, Banks has been a key figure in Texas' aggressive response to the Biden administration's failure to ensure security. southern border Migrant crossings hit record highs.
As of March 2021, Texas Already taken the bus Tens of thousands of immigrants are pouring into major U.S. cities led by Democrats, Deployed The National Guard fortified the banks of the Rio Grande with barbed wire and assigned soldiers to arrest immigrants for trespassing.
Also tried formulate The country's own immigration laws arrest and jail immigrants suspected of entering the country illegally, although that measure is currently stalled in court.
As Border Patrol captain, Banks will oversee green-uniformed agents tasked with apprehending immigrants who enter the U.S. illegally from official points of entry or arrive by sea in Florida and other coastal areas. Rank-and-file agents have been frustrated over the past few years over disagreements with the Biden administration's immigration policies.
A U.S. official said Banks is expected to join Trump's second administration in some capacity soon after he takes office, alongside President-elect Rodney Scott Clicked Become his CBP Specialist.
Scott himself served as Border Patrol chief, appointed during Trump's first administration until he was ousted by the Biden administration in the spring of 2021. As CBP Specialist, Scott will oversee the Border Patrol and is also responsible for customs and immigration officers at airports, seaports and land border crossings. This position requires Senate confirmation.
In addition to Banks and Scott, the incoming Trump administration plans to install Tom HomanThe longtime Immigration and Customs Enforcement official serves as border czar, a new White House position. Homan is expected to play a key role in carrying out what Trump has promised will be the largest deportations in U.S. history.
During the first three years of the Biden administration, U.S. Customs and Border Protection reported record levels of migrant apprehensions at the U.S.-Mexico border, with officials at times struggling to curb large-scale illegal crossings. But illegal crossings have fallen to a four-year low due to: asylum restrictions President Biden enacted Mexico's measures in June to stop migrants from heading north.
