Alwaght- US secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen is leaving the administration, Donald Trump confirmed on Sunday.
"Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen will be leaving her position, and I would like to thank her for her service," Trump said on Twitter.
After receiving her resignation letter on Sunday, Trump thanked Nielsen for “her service” and announced the appointment of current Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, Kevin McAleenan, to lead the department.
"I am pleased to announce that Kevin McAleenan, the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, will become Acting Secretary for @DHSgov. I have confidence that Kevin will do a great job!" Trump continued.
Nielsen, who had been appointed to lead Trump’s overhaul of border security in 2017, was known to be at odds with the president and with his national security adviser John Bolton, over her approach to illegal immigration.
CNN cited a person close to Nielsen as saying that she did not resign willingly but was under pressure to do so.
Trump has sought to toughen his policy on the southern border in recent weeks. The president threatened to shut large portions of the border if Mexico did not stem the flow of migrants and drugs.
He later backed down from that threat, giving Mexico a year to meet his demands or face car tariffs or a border closure.
