The U.S. Senate has given the green light to President Trump's nominee, Rodney Scott, to take the helm of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) as its commissioner.
The confirmation, which came through a 51 to 46 vote, was announced on Wednesday.
According to RedState, this confirmation follows a report by Bob Hoge, detailing a significant decrease in the number of illegal immigrants being released into the country. The figures showed a stark contrast between the zero releases in May under the Trump administration and the 62,000 releases in May 2024 under the Biden administration.
Rodney Scott, a seasoned Border Patrol veteran with three decades of service, had previously held the position of chief patrol agent in the San Diego sector during the first Trump administration. He later ascended to the role of chief of the U.S. Border Patrol from 2020 to 2021. Mark Morgan, the former CBP Commissioner who promoted Scott, expressed his outrage at Alejandro Mayorkas, then-Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), for terminating Scott's service.
Morgan praised Scott as a "man of integrity" and "courage," who was "very honest and open about his criticisms" of the Biden administration's border policies, which he believed undermined the security of U.S. borders.
Morgan was forthright in his assessment of Mayorkas' approach to personnel decisions, stating, "If [Sec. Mayorkas] cannot bully someone, a career official, if he can't turn a career official into no more than a puppet to further his open border policies, he's getting rid of him. And that's what he's done."
In April, Catherine Herridge, an investigative journalist, reported that Scott had pledged to investigate allegations made by CBP whistleblowers Mark Jones, Fred Wynn, and Mike Taylor. They claimed they had faced retaliation "for showing homeland security was in violation of its own border law," and Scott promised to hold the responsible DHS officials accountable.
The confirmation of Scott as CBP commissioner has been met with widespread approval, including from Border Czar, Tom Homan, a long-time supporter of Scott. Messages of congratulations flooded social media platforms, lauding Scott's three-decade experience with the Border Patrol and his commitment to strengthening enforcement, restoring law and order, and putting America first.
Mark E. Green, Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security, issued a statement praising Scott's appointment. He wrote, "Rodney Scott is the right man to lead Customs and Border Protection at this crucial moment in our nations history. As the Trump administration works to undo the damage caused by the Biden-Harris administrations radical open-borders, anti-enforcement policies, we will need experienced, principled, and dedicated men and women leading the charge."
Green further emphasized Scott's understanding of the CBP's mission and the challenges faced by those who carry it out daily. He expressed gratitude for President Trump's nomination of Scott and looked forward to his leadership at CBP as the agency strives to secure U.S. borders and protect the homeland from various threats.
As Scott takes on his new role, the nation watches with anticipation, hopeful that his leadership will bring about the much-needed change in border security and immigration policies.
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