President Trump denied reports that he’s purging officials at the Department of Homeland Security in order to bring in people who will enact his more hardline immigration policy goals, telling reporters on Tuesday he “never said I’m cleaning house.”
“Well I never said I’m cleaning house,” when asked about the increased turnover in recent days. “I don’t know who came up with that especially, we have a lot of great people there, we have bad laws. We have a judge that just ruled incredibly that he doesn’t want people staying in Mexico. Figure that one out. Nobody can believe these decisions we’re getting from the ninth circuit (court). It’s a disgrace. So we’re fighting the bad laws.”
Trump: "I never said I was cleaning house" at DHS pic.twitter.com/nkoItfFxlb
— TPM Livewire (@TPMLiveWire) April 9, 2019
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen and Secret Service Director Randolph “Tex” Alles both resigned on Monday. The White House also pulled its nomination of Ronald Vitiello last week, who was tapped to run ICE. There are reports that Director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Lee Francis Cissna might be next on the chopping block.
