President Biden plans to announce nominations for two key immigration jobs as the administration confronts an influx of migrants on the U.S.-Mexico border, according to a White House official.
Biden has selected Chris Magnus, the police chief from Tucson, to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the official said. He’d been a critic of the Trump administration’s anti-immigration policies.
Biden also intends to nominate Ur Jaddou, an immigrant-rights advocate, to lead U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services. The agency will implement Biden’s rollback of some of Trump’s hard-line visa policies.
If confirmed by the Senate, Magnus would help lead the response to an influx of migrants at the southern border that has posed an early challenge to Biden. The U.S. in March saw the highest number of apprehensions at the border in almost two decades, including a record number of children and teens traveling alone.
Magnus joins five other nominees at the Department of Homeland Security, according to a White House official. The New York Times reported the selections earlier.
“They are highly-regarded and accomplished professionals with deep experience in their respective fields,” Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said in a statement. “Together they will help advance the Department of Homeland Security’s mission to ensure the safety and security of the American people.”
The nominations announced Monday also include top officials at DHS headquarters, jobs that had been hollowed out and led by acting leaders during Trump’s presidency.
John Tien, the National Security Council director for Afghanistan and Pakistan under President Obama, will be nominated as deputy secretary. Tien has been a managing director at Citigroup Inc. since 2011. Another former Obama administration official, Jonathan Meyer, was picked as general counsel.