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President Trump announces former Obama-era border chief Mark Morgan will lead ICE

Mark Morgan, chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, testifies at a Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee hearing in Washington, Nov. 30, 2016.
Nicholas Kamm/AFP/Getty Images, FILE

May 05, 2019, 4:34 PM

President Donald Trump announced Sunday that former Obama-era border chief Mark Morgan will lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, filling an important role in the Trump administration as it seeks to curb immigration at the Southern border and tighten border security.

Trump called Morgan “a true believer and American Patriot” when he made the announcement on Twitter.

President Donald Trump speaks to the media as he departs the White House, Friday, April 26, 2019.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP

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Last month, Trump removed the acting head of ICE, Ron Vitiello, because he wanted to go in a "tougher direction" on immigration.

Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen greets a member of the Border Patrol at the U.S. Customs and Border Protection Advanced Training Facility in Harpers Ferry, W.V., March 13, 2019.
Joshua Roberts/Joshua Roberts/Reuters, FILE

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Morgan has publicly supported Trump's border wall, and has been critical of Congress’ progress on the issues of immigration and border security.

A former FBI agent, Morgan led Border Patrol during the final months of the Obama administration. His appointment by the president is the latest personnel shake-up for federal agencies involved in immigration enforcement. Last month, Kirstjen Nielsen unexpectedly stepped down from her role as Department of Homeland Security secretary and was replaced by acting secretary Kevin McAleenan.