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Departing Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen affirmed her support Monday for President Donald Trump’s plans to secure the U.S.-Mexico border.
“I share the President’s goal of securing the border,” Nielsen told reporters outside her home. “I will continue to support all efforts to address the humanitarian and security crisis on the border.”
Nielsen resigned her position Sunday, following tensions with the White House that she had not done enough to stop border crossings.
The President has indicated that he would move in a “tougher direction” at the border amid a sharp increase in migrant families arriving from Central America.
President Trump has announced that Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan will serve as acting DHS secretary.
“Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will be leaving her position, and I would like to thank her for her service,” Mr. Trump tweeted Sunday. “…I am pleased to announce that Kevin McAleenan, the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, will become Acting Secretary for @DHSgov. I have confidence that Kevin will do a great job!”
WIBC host Tony Katz offered his thoughts on Nielsen’s departure and her replacement, Kevin McAleenan Monday morning:
“The part that’s going to make it difficult for the people in terms of linear thinking is that McAleenan is a holdover from the Obama administration. According to multiple sources, he has strong bipartisan support.
One of the things that McAleenan opposes is family separation at the border, which I have no problem with. What I have said is that if you don’t like the laws, change the laws. That part doesn’t bother me, but let’s not be proactive in the push for illegal immigration and let’s not pretend that it’s not an issue; of course it’s an issue. Of course what’s happening on the legal side is an issue. It is just too overwhelming the system and the system has to work.”
Click the link below to hear Tony’s full commentary:
