Here’s what Kirstjen Nielsen said in her resignation letter to President Trump
Kirstjen Nielsen, the Department of Homeland Security Secretary unexpectedly resigned Sunday.
The move came about a week after she had blasted a letter to Congress pleading that they allocate funds to increase the number of beds at existing immigrant detention centers, as well as expand the number of temporary shelters.
In the four-page letter, Nielsen called the “situation” at the border a “system-wide meltdown,” and said U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents are so overwhelmed that they still have children in their custody because proper shelters are to capacity.
Although Sunday’s resignation letter doesn’t say exactly why she chose to resign, it does mention the national “discourse” regarding America’s borders.
“I hereby resign from the position of Secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS), effective April 7th 2019,” Nielsen wrote. “Despite our progress in reforming homeland security for a new age, I have determined that it is the right time for me to step aside. I hope that the next Secretary will have the support of Congress and the courts in fixing the laws which have impeded our ability to fully secure America’s borders and which have contributed to discord in our nation’s discourse.”
Nielsen continued: “Our country - and the men and women of DHS - deserve to have all the tools and resources they need to execute the mission entrusted to them.”
The Department of Homeland Security provided the Miami Herald with a full copy of the letter, which you can read here:
This story was originally published April 7, 2019 at 7:53 PM.
