DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen expected to resign — ending an illustrious tenure that included putting kids in cages
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen is expected to offer her resignation on Sunday, CBS News reports, citing U.S. officials familiar with the matter.
Nielsen is meeting with Donald Trump at the White House at 5 p.m. EST, according to the report.
Nielsen’s tenure as DHS secretary has been marred by scandal and criticism over her implementation of the president’s “zero tolerance” policy. That policy resulted in children being separated from their parents at the border, only to be placed in communal cages monitored by U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents.
Last month, Nielsen clashed with Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee over her implementation of the Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy. In one exchange, Nielsen refused to admit to committee chairman Bennie G. Thompson that the department indeed used “cages,” instead launching into a semantic argument about the nature of the enclosures.
“I’ve seen the cages!” Thompson told Nielsen. “I just want you to admit that the cages exist.”
During heated exchange w/@RepKathleenRice, Nielsen justifies family separations: "The consequence of any adult goin… https://t.co/TkYYgfseOA— Aaron Rupar (@Aaron Rupar) 1551891788.0
As CBS reports, it's unclear whether Nielsen is departing voluntarily.
