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Thursday 11 april 2019

Ribbon cutting a last act for ousted Trump DHS officials

By COLLEEN LONG bon together. If there were quarters, erected at the
Associated Press bad feelings or awkward- site of an old federal psy-
WASHINGTON (AP) — ness, they weren’t on dis- chiatric hospital.
Kirstjen Nielsen and other play. The event felt more “But I just made it,” she said.
longtime civil servants stood like a graduation than the Nielsen resigned Sunday,
outside the Department of bloodbath orchestrated by ending a tumultuous ten-
Homeland Security’s new the White House this week ure at the helm of a sprawl-
headquarters Wednesday to axe the agency’s lead- ing department of 240,000
in the breezy sunshine — a ership. people responsible for bor-
ribbon-cutting ceremony Nielsen, for her part, der security, disaster relief,
for a building they’d never seemed relaxed as she cyber security, counterter-
work in. stepped to the podium to rorism and other missions.
Nielsen, homeland security address her employees She finally had enough
secretary for a few more one last time. She spoke after the most recent tan-
hours, stood smiling next to of their accomplishments gle with President Donald
her replacement. Both held together, and cracked a Trump and his aides over
giant gold scissors, and joke about how construc- the increase of Central
on a count of three, they tion took so long she almost American migrants cross-
sliced through the blue rib- didn’t see the new head- ing the Southern border,

Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, front
center left, cuts a ribbon accompanied by outgoing acting
deputy secretary Claire Grady, front center right, Incoming
Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, front left,
and Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration
David Pekoske, front right at the dedication ceremony at the
Homeland Security headquarters Center Building at the old St.
Elizabeths Hospital, Wednesday, April 10, 2019, in Washington.
Associated Press
and Trump’s growing frus- at the podium by Claire
tration. Grady, acting deputy sec-
The resignation was fueled retary and civil servant of
partly because Trump had more than 28 years. She
suddenly withdrawn the was next in line to become
nomination of Immigration secretary but had been
and Customs Enforcement forced to resign when
leader Ron Vitiello with- Trump decided to name
out telling anyone, and Kevin McAleenan, the
wanted to shake up lead- head of U.S. Customs and
ership, people familiar with Border Protection, as act-
the matter said. The peo- ing secretary. Both wom-
ple weren’t authorized to en got standing ovations.
speak publicly and spoke Both were leaving after
to The Associated Press on Wednesday.
condition of anonymity. McAleenan, sat on the oth-
Vitiello was there Wednes- er side of the row of folding
day, sitting on the end chairs, next to Transporta-
of the front row of white tion Security Administration
folding chairs, shortly after head David Pekoske, who
sending a letter to his em- was taking Grady’s place.
ployees saying his last day Outgoing Secret Service
at ICE was Friday, capping Director Randolph “Tex”
more than three decades Alles, ousted by Trump for
of border work. personal reasons, sat there
Nielsen was introduced too.q