Kevin McAleenan, new interim secretary of DHS, "not an ideologue or fire sniffer"

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Kevin McAleenan, who is acting DHS, was the US Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection before Sunday's announcement. He was confirmed commissioner by the Senate in March 2018 by 77 votes against 19.

According to a White House official, he should act as acting secretary "in the short term". Nielsen is expected to stay for a week of transition, said another White House official.

The senior DHS official told CNN that McAleenan was "not an ideologue or sniffer" in immigration matters, like the White House's senior advisor, Stephen Miller or Trump. This manager wondered how McAleenan would fit in as Miller has appointed several people to political positions in the department, who respect the orders of the immigration advocate.

Another senior DHS official said, "He is good at what he does, and all the roles he has had have improved working conditions." I expect it to be the same thing." But another administration official warned that although McAleenan "knows the border and immigration", he "might not know the rest of the DHS".

McAleenan also shared some of Nielsen's frustrations with Trump over the department's demands, two US officials said. He is also viewed with suspicion by some of the White House's immigration opponents, led by Miller, who has Trump's ear on the issues he considers essential to his prospects of re-election. .

Career Official

McAleenan is a career civil servant who had previously held the position of Deputy Commissioner under the administration of President Barack Obama. As a CBP Commissioner, he oversaw 60,000 employees and managed a budget of more than $ 13 billion, according to the ministry's website.

Last month, McAleenan said the "breaking point has arrived" for the US immigration system and that CBP has encountered the largest number of migrants for over 4 years, with more than 4,000 in one day, the vast majority of which consisted of apprehensions of people crossed. the border illegally. He announced that he was moving 750 "key role" agents to the points of entry to help the Border Patrol take care of the migrants, particularly with regard to treatment and transportation .

He was scheduled to hold a press conference Monday morning to discuss figures on monthly apprehensions on the southern border, but this information was postponed "due to recent news".

In December, following the death of two migrant children in the custody of US border authorities, McAleenan reiterated calls to Congress to provide more funds to deal with the influx of migrants crossing the border. This month, two Guatemalan children have died after being detained with their father after crossing the US-Mexico border.

McAleenan received the Presidential Award in 2015, according to the department's website, as well as the Service to America and Call to Service Medals in 2005 for directing counterterrorism efforts at the border after the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.

This story has been updated with additional developments on Sunday night.

Evan Perez and Boris Sanchez of CNN contributed to this report.

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