Border Patrol chief Michael Banks resigns his position | CNN Politics

US Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks told CNN Thursday he was stepping down from his post, effective immediately, marking the latest senior immigration official to leave the Department of Homeland Security since Secretary Markwayne Mullin stepped into the top job. In a statement, Banks said he was “proud” of his time at Border Patrol and was leaving the job now with “the most secure border” in the nation’s history. “After almost 37 years of public service now is my time to enjoy family and life,” he said. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott, whose agency includes Border Patrol, thanked Banks in a statement for “his decades of service to this country.” Banks was s a long time Border Patrol agent who previously served as Texas’ border czar. In that post, he worked as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s adviser during Operation Lone Star, the state’s response to what Texas officials described as a border crisis under President Joe Biden’s administration. That operation, and Banks’ role in it, won praise from President Donald Trump, who appointed Banks as the top Border Patrol official in January 2025. During Banks’ tenure, a subordinate Border Pa