Director of US border police resigns in the midst of anti-immigration offensive

Michael Banks’ departure marks another exit among officials responsible for implementing Donald Trump’s anti-immigration offensive.

US Customs and Border Protection (CBP) director Michael Banks resigned on Thursday, adding to the list of officials departing from the implementation of Donald Trump’s desired anti-immigration measures. “We thank Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks for his decades of service to this country,” said one high-ranking official, Rodney Scott, in a statement.

“Under his leadership, the border went from chaos to the most secure ever seen,” he added, referring to the border between the United States and Mexico. Under Michael Banks’ direction, the border police have been involved in extensive anti-immigration operations in many cities across the country since Donald Trump’s return to the White House in early 2025.

Before the departure of the border police director, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was replaced in March, and a high-ranking CBP official, Greg Bovino, was demoted after the deaths of two Americans shot by federal agents on the streets of Minneapolis in January, the epicenter of this anti-immigration offensive. Meanwhile, the current acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), on the front lines and under scrutiny, has announced his intention to step down at the end of the month.