Homeland Security chief Nielsen is out

White House

Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan will become acting DHS secretary.

Kirstjen Nielsen will leave her post as secretary of Homeland Security, President Donald Trump tweeted Sunday.

“I am pleased to announce that Kevin McAleenan, the current U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, will become Acting Secretary,” the president added.

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Nielsen oversaw the implementation of President Donald Trump’s contentious immigration agenda, including the separation of thousands of families at the U.S.-Mexico border.

She had been in the post since December 2017, succeeding John Kelly when he became White House chief of staff, a position he no longer occupies.

The president was widely expected to dismiss Nielsen after November’s midterm elections and surprised allies by keeping her on board. The two have clashed on their approach to immigration and border security from the outset of her tenure, with Trump complaining that she was too soft and regularly pushing her to take measures that crossed legal boundaries, she told allies.

Trump also blamed Nielsen for the steady rise of apprehensions at the Southern border, which have ticked up steadily since late 2017.