US border chief set to resign amid controversy over conditions migrant children are living in
The resignation, effective next month, marks latest high profile resignation or firing of Trump administration
The acting chief of US Customs and Border Protection (CBP), John Sanders, is expected to step down from his post in the coming weeks, amid public outrage over the treatment of migrant children in American facilities.
The resignation comes just after it was announced that more than 100 children were set to be returned to a Texas detention centre where lawyers described squalid living conditions.
Mr Sanders has been in charge of the border agency since April, when Kevin McAleenan was picked to take over as acting Secretary of Homeland Security. His resignation marks just the latest on a long list of top Trump administration officials who have been forced to resign or have been fired in the past two years.
“Although I will leave it to you to determine whether I was successful, I can unequivocally say that helping the amazing men and women of CBP has been the most fulfilling and satisfying opportunity of my career,” Mr Sanders wrote in his resignation letter. The resignation is effective as of 5 July.
In addition to the squalid living conditions for migrants, the American immigration system has also received criticism after Donald Trump called off planned raids by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement, and asked Congress to find a solution for the US-Mexico border within two weeks.
Here’s Mr Sanders’s letter announcing his resignation:
As some of you are aware, yesterday I offered my resignation to Secretary McAleenan, effective Friday, July 5. In that letter, I quoted a wise man who said to me, “each man will judge their success by their own metrics.” Although I will leave it to you to determine whether I was successful, I can unequivocally say that helping support the amazing men and women of CBP has been the most fulfilling and satisfying opportunity of my career.
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