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Top US border official steps down abruptly
Michael Banks, the chief of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), announced his immediate resignation Thursday, marking the latest departure from President Donald Trump's immigration team.
Banks cites personal reasons and accomplishments
In an interview with Fox News, Banks stated, "It's just time," adding that he believed he had "got the ship back on course from the least secure, disastrous, chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen."
In a separate letter to staff, obtained by CBS News, Banks wrote that he was retiring to return to Texas to focus on his family and ranch. He praised the agency's achievements over the past 18 months, calling them "nothing short of amazing."
Career highlights and controversies
Banks, a former border adviser to Texas Governor Greg Abbott, had previously held mid-level roles within CBP. He initially retired from the agency during President Joe Biden's administration, citing frustration with morale and policy disagreements.
Rodney Scott, the CBP commissioner who oversaw Banks, released a statement thanking him for "decades of service" and noting that Banks had come out of retirement to serve under Trump during a "challenging period for border security."
Recent turnover in Trump's immigration team
Banks' resignation follows other high-profile departures, including the firing of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem earlier this year and the earlier resignation of outspoken CBP commander Greg Bovino.
Under Trump's second term, CBP has expanded immigration enforcement operations in cities like Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis. These actions have drawn criticism, particularly after two American citizens were killed by federal immigration officials in Minneapolis in January.
Uncertainty over successor
As of Thursday, the Trump administration had not named a replacement for Banks. His departure leaves a key leadership vacuum in the agency responsible for border security and immigration enforcement.
