US border patrol chief resigns abruptly amid string of exits by Trump immigration officials
The Guardian • • nation
Key Points:
- Mike Banks, the US Border Patrol chief known for aggressively militarizing the southern border, has resigned immediately, stating he feels the border is now the most secure in history.
- Rodney Scott, CBP commissioner, praised Banks for transforming the border from chaos to unprecedented security and thanked him for his decades of service.
- Banks’s resignation follows reports accusing him of paying for sex with prostitutes during trips abroad over more than a decade, allegations that were investigated but deemed closed by CBP.
- Banks led significant enforcement expansions under the Trump administration, including increased prosecutions for illegal crossings and the creation of military-designated national defense areas along the southern border.
- His departure is part of a broader turnover among senior officials involved in Trump’s immigration crackdown, including the recent firing of former homeland security secretary Kristi Noem.