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Trump Nominates Obama-Era Border Patrol Chief Mark Morgan to Head ICE

HeadlineMay 06, 2019

President Trump has tapped former FBI agent Mark Morgan to be the new head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement. Morgan was the head of Border Patrol during the final months of Barack Obama’s presidency but was removed after Trump came into office. He also previously led internal affairs at U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Mark Morgan’s position on immigration issues has shifted further to the right during Trump’s presidency, and he has publicly backed the president’s immigration policies—namely via appearances on Fox News—including declaring a national emergency to build a border wall. Last month, he voiced support for Trump’s proposal to send migrant detainees to sanctuary cities.

Mark Morgan: “The Border Patrol, ICE, their facilities are overwhelmed. The faith-based organization and other nongovernmental organizations are overwhelmed. They have no choice: They’re going to have to start pushing these individuals out. Shouldn’t we kind of share the burden throughout the country?”

Morgan’s nomination, announced by Trump on Twitter Sunday, follows a recent purge in top immigration officials, reportedly led by adviser Stephen Miller in an effort to steer the administration toward even more hard-line immigration policies. Morgan will still need to be confirmed by the Senate.

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