DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigns

WASHINGTON—Kirstjen Nielsen resigned as secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, President Donald Trump announced Sunday. In a tweet, the president named Kevin McAleenan, previously the U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner, acting secretary of homeland security. Nielsen replaced Gen. John Kelly as secretary in December 2017 after he became the president’s chief of staff. During her tenure, Nielsen faced criticism for the department’s family separation policy from April to June 2018. DHS enacted the policy to enforce Trump’s zero-tolerance approach that required the prosecution of anyone entering the country illegally.

Illegal immigration rates have surged in recent months, and Nielsen wrote to Congress in March that, “DHS facilities are overflowing, agents and officers are stretched too thin.” She said that in February, border agents apprehended 75,000 migrants and expected to apprehend 100,000 in April, the highest numbers in more than a decade. In her resignation letter, Nielsen urged Congress to pass legislation addressing the immigration system, saying, “I hope that the next secretary will have the support of Congress and the courts in fixing the laws which have impeded our ability to fully secure America’s borders and which have contributed to discord in our nation’s discourse.”

Nielsen did not give a reason for her departure but tweeted she will stay on until April 10 to assist in the transition.