Acting US homeland security chief McAleenan quits

WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump announced that acting US homeland security chief Kevin McAleenan (pic) has resigned, becoming the latest in a long list of top officials to leave the administration.

“Kevin McAleenan has done an outstanding job as Acting Secretary of Homeland Security. We have worked well together with Border Crossings being way down,” Trump said in a tweet.

“Kevin now, after many years in Government, wants to spend more time with his family and go to the private sector. Congratulations Kevin, on a job well done!”

McAleenan served in the role for six months, replacing Kirstjen Nielsen, who sat at the helm of the powerful agency for 1.5 years.

Trump said he would announce a new acting homeland security secretary next week.

During McAleenan’s brief tenure, the Trump administration stepped up efforts to discourage an exodus of migrants from Honduras, Guatemala and El Salvador by asking Mexico to impede their transit and requiring them to apply for asylum in the first country they enter – meaning either Guatemala or Mexico.

Cracking down on illegal immigration is a major goal on Trump’s agenda, and efforts have been paying off.

US border agents arrested or stopped nearly one million undocumented migrants at the southern border with Mexico in the last 12 months, the most in more than a decade, according to statistics released this week.

McAleenan’s exit came after he told The Washington Post that he did not feel in control of his department, as news reports said he was discouraged by his standing in the Trump administration.

“What I don’t have control over is the tone, the message, the public face and approach of the department in an increasingly polarised time,” McAleenan told the paper.

On Friday he tweeted a thank you to Trump and highlighted his department’s accomplishments.

“With (Trump’s) support, over the last six months, we have made tremendous progress mitigating the border security and humanitarian crisis we faced this year, by reducing unlawful crossings, partnering with governments in the region to counter human smugglers and address the causes of migration, and deploy additional border security resources,” McAleenan said.