Behind the Poll:
New Customs and Border Patrol chief sends staff welcome email, ignores illegal immigration
New Customs and Border Protection (CBP) chief Chris Magnus sent a welcome email to staff on Tuesday, but he completely omitted any mention of illegal immigration.
The controversial Biden appointee was confirmed by the Senate last week and sworn in on Monday.
“I worked closely with CBP on a variety of issues important to border communities,” the former Tucson, Ariz., police chief wrote in an email obtained by Just the News.
Illegal immigration is skyrocketing, and CBP encounters have more than tripled since 2020.
Magnus, however, did not mention immigration in his letter, choosing instead to mention in passing only that CBP’s work includes “welcoming and vetting travelers.”
He noted that he was proud of prioritizing relationships between police officers and community members, implementing “evidence-based best practices, promoting reform, and insisting on police accountability and transparency with the public.”
“I know that CBP has faced some unprecedented challenges over the past year,” Magnus wrote. “The nature of our mission set is constantly changing.”
More than 64,000 people now work under Magnus.
Both the National Sheriffs Association and the Arizona Sheriffs Association opposed Magnus’ nomination to lead CBP. They wrote that as Tucson chief Magnus did not assist Border Patrol agents and he lacked the experience needed to lead the massive law enforcement organization.
–Madeleine Hubbard
