The Biden administration has lost confidence in Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus, who has reportedly fallen asleep in the middle of meetings and been accused of being unengaged in his work.
Politico reports that, according to multiple government sources, the problem has gotten so bad that Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has asked Magnus to either resign from his position or be fired.
Thus far, Magnus has refused to step down, instead defiantly telling the Los Angeles Times that he is “excited about the progress” he has made and that he looks forward to “continuing that work.”
The LA Times also noted in their report that Magnus had confirmed the rumors, writing that he “said he will not comply with the request to step down.”
Magnus reportedly explained in the interview that Mayorkas told him he had lost confidence in his ability to perform his duties as CBP commissioner.
The commissioner noted that because of this, Mayorkas had told him to resign, or else he would recommend that President Joe Biden fire him.
The Biden administration isn’t the only group who have lost faith in Magnus’ ability to perform his duties. In September, the Arizona Sheriff’s Association sent a letter to Biden stating that they have “formally adopted a position of No Confidence that Commissioner Magnus is fit to continue to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection” — and urged the president to remove him from the position.
JUST IN: Arizona’s Sheriffs issue a vote of no confidence in @CBP Commissioner Chris Magnus saying he’s not fit to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection due to the increase in illegal immigration and illicit drugs coming across the border: pic.twitter.com/OHdNeRulyb
— Ali Bradley (@AliBradleyTV) September 12, 2022
Magnus, who has been criticized for his management style, told the LA Times that he previously stopped the head of Border Patrol, Raul Ortiz, from receiving a “retention” bonus simply because Ortiz “did not share his philosophy and approach to reforms.”
The CBP commissioner also reported that John Tien, the U.S. deputy secretary of Homeland Security, informed him that he would be removed from his position in the next few days if he refused to resign.
Politico noted in their report that Mayorkas has already shifted Magnus’ duties over to Tien and deputy CBP Commissioner Troy Miller.
It was revealed in October that six of Magnus’ colleagues had complained about the CBP commissioner falling asleep during several meetings, though he tried to excuse his actions by blaming them on his multiple sclerosis.
He has also been criticized for missing numerous White House meetings about the border, speaking negatively about other government agencies and colleagues, and being unengaged in his work.
“He’s not in the game,” one internal critic told Politico. “Every time there’s a meeting and he’s in it, we’ll get to a conclusion and Magnus will have some sidebar issue that he wants to raise and we’re all like, ‘What the f— is that about?’”
Magnus, who began working for DHS in December, is a former police chief from Tucson and Richmond, California, with over 40 years of law enforcement experience.
