Pass da popcorn!The Department of Homeland Security has asked U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mark Morgan, a former longtime Federal Bureau of Investigation agent, to step down from his post.
News of his departure, expected within a month, comes as the Trump administration moves toward tougher enforcement of immigration laws.
Two sources familiar with Morgan's departure told Reuters that he held a morning phone call with employees to say that he was not resigning ‐ but had been asked to leave by the Trump administration.
Morgan's ouster also comes the day after President Donald Trump announced a broad plan to crack down on border security, including directing the construction of a wall along the border with Mexico.
The border patrol union, which endorsed Trump's presidential campaign and applauded his executive order, had been critical of Morgan. The union criticized Morgan for supporting former President Barack Obama's plans to shield certain illegal immigrants from deportation through a White House-driven amnesty.
The executive board of the National Border Patrol Council called Morgan arrogant and a 'disgrace to the Border Patrol' in an opinion piece published by Breitbart.com on Nov. 30.
Unlike many border patrol officers, Morgan did not climb the chain of command within the agency but was appointed from the FBI.
Morgan was named to the post in June and took office in October. The former FBI agent briefly led the internal affairs department at the Border Patrol's parent agency before heading the agency of roughly 20,000 agents.
In a statement, Kevin McAleenan, the Customs and Border Protection's acting commissioner, praised Morgan for 'his unwavering dedication to our border security mission' and 'lifelong career in service to the nation.'
Morgan was the first outsider to lead the agency since its founding in 1924. He clashed with rank-and-file officers in the Trump-friendly union from the start.
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