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U.S. NEWS Monday 8 april 2019

Continued from Front "Despite our progress in re- Border agents are on track
The decision to name an forming homeland security to make 100,000 arrests
immigration officer to the for a new age, I have de- and denials of entry at the
post reflects Trump's priority termined that it is the right southern border this month,
for a sprawling department time for me to step aside," over half of which are fami-
founded to combat terror- she wrote. "I hope that the lies with children.
ism following the Sept. 11 next secretary will have Nielsen advocated for
attacks. the support of Congress strong cybersecurity de-
Though Trump aides were and the courts in fixing the fense and often said she
eyeing a staff shake-up at laws which have impeded believed the next major
Homeland Security and our ability to fully secure terror attack would occur
had already withdrawn the America's borders and online — not by planes or
nomination for another key which have contributed to bombs. She was tasked
immigration post, the de- discord in our nation's dis- with helping states secure
velopment Sunday was un- course." elections following Russian
expected. There have been persis- interference during the
Nielsen traveled to the U.S.- tent tensions between the 2016 election. But she was
Mexico border on Friday White House and Nielsen also instrumental in ending In this Wednesday, March 6, 2019, file photo, U.S. Customs and
Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan speaks dur-
with Trump to participate almost from the moment the policy.Under Nielsen, ing a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee on oversight of
in a roundtable with bor- she became secretary, af- migrants seeking asylum Customs and Border Protection's response to the smuggling of
der officers and local law ter her predecessor, John are waiting in Mexico as persons at the southern border, in Washington.
enforcement. There she Kelly, became the White their cases progress.q Associated Press
echoed Trump's comments House chief of staff in 2017.
on the situation at the bor- Nielsen was viewed as resis-
der, though she ducked tant to some of the harsh-
out of the room without est immigration measures
explanation for some time supported by the president
while Trump spoke. As they and his aides, particularly
toured a section of newly senior adviser Stephen Mill-
rebuilt barriers, Nielsen was er, both on matters around
at Trump's side, introducing the border and others like
him to local officials. She protected status for some
returned to Washington af- refugees. Once Kelly left
terward on a Coast Guard the White House last year,
Gulfstream, as Trump con- Nielsen's days appeared to
tinued on a fundraising trip be numbered. She had ex-
to California and Nevada. pected to be pushed out
But privately, she had grown last November, but her exit
increasingly frustrated by never materialized. And
what she saw as a lack of during the government
support from other depart- shutdown over Trump's in-
ments and increased med- sistence for funding for a
dling by Trump aides, the border wall, Nielsen's stock
people said. She went into inside the White House
a meeting with Trump at even appeared to rise.
the White House in Sunday But in recent weeks, as a
not knowing whether she'd new wave of migration
be fired or would resign, has taxed resources along
and she ended up resign- the border and as Trump
ing, they said. sought to regain control
Her resignation later, ob- of the issue for his 2020 re-
tained by The Associated election campaign, ten-
Press, had not a whiff of sions flared anew.
controversy unlike others Arrests all along the south-
who have left from the ad- ern border have skyrock-
ministration. eted in recent months.