Kirstjen Nielsen Is Leaving the Trump Administration [UPDATED]

By Lauren Evans  |  April 7, 2019 | 9:55pm
Big Story

Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is expected to step down today, though it’s unclear whether her resignation will be voluntarily or something undoubtedly more ham-fisted.

Nielsen has held her post since December 2017, which makes her something of an old-timer in an ever-rotating cast of cabinet members. Rumors of Nielson’s departure have swirled for months now, though multiple reports indicate that as of 5 p.m. EST, that resignation is being tendered (extracted?) as we speak/type. (You speak; I type. Although I’m happy to trade.)

A senior official told CBS News that Nielsen’s departure is part of a sweeping DHS overhaul engineered by Stephen Miller, as well as a recent announcement from Trump that he wants to go in a “tougher” direction for ICE.

As a refresher, Nielsen’s many contributions to the role include an apparent failure to understand how her agency operates, and blaming the deaths of two young children in Customs and Border Patrol on the children’s parents.

Update, 6:15 p.m. ET: Trump makes it official.

This post will be updated as more information becomes available.

 
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