US President Biden picks two Trump critics for key border, immigration roles

United States President Joe Biden on April 12 nominated two critics of Donald Trump-era immigration policies for key roles at Department of Homeland Security. Biden named Tucson, Arizona Police Chief Chris Magnus to be commissioner of Customs and Border Protection. Immigration policy expert Ur Mendoza Jaddou has been nominated to be director of Citizenship and Immigration Services. 

Critics of Trump administration 

The decision came after the Biden administration faces a rising number of people attempting to enter the country along the Southwest border. Ur Mendoza Jaddou has two decades of experience in immigration law, policy, and administration. She was recently working as Director of DHS Watch, where she criticized the Trump administration's immigration policy. Jaddou’s experience on immigration policy began as counsel to US House of Representative Zoe Lofgren from the year 2002 to 2007. Jaddou is a daughter of immigrants – a mother from Mexico and a father from Iraq – born and raised in Chula Vista, California.

Magnus had criticized the Trump administration’s efforts to punish cities that refused to cooperate with tougher immigration enforcement policies. Magnus offered to resign last year when a young Hispanic man, Carlos Ingram-Lopez, died in police custody and the department failed to inform the public for months. Romero, a democrat in a statement said,

During his time in Tucson and throughout his career, Chief Magnus has developed a national reputation for his sensible, inclusive approach to policing that has always centered around community building.

The responsibilities of CBP’s include patrolling the border while USCIS runs legal immigration services. Both positions require Senate confirmation and were run by acting leaders under former President Donald Trump, repeatedly drawing criticism from Congress. Border Patrol continues to apprehend migrants along the Southwest border. The Biden administration continues to send back adults due to the spread of the COVID-19 virus but the government has been allowing unaccompanied children and some families to stay.

(Inputs and Images from The Associated Press)