Trump to Tap Mike Banks, Texas Border Czar, as Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol

Image Source: gov.texas.gov
FAIR Take | January 2025
According to multiple sources, President Trump will appoint Texas Border Czar Mike Banks to serve as Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol. Banks has been serving as Texas’ Border Czar since 2023, but he is not new to the dangers that border patrol agents face on the front lines.
Mr. Banks, in fact, has a long history of service to our nation. Banks served ten years in the U.S. Navy, the majority of that time as a military law enforcement officer. In that capacity, he spent much of his time working with the Border Patrol and U.S. Customs (now Office of Field Operations) at various ports of entry to support border security missions. After leaving the Navy, Banks entered the Border Patrol, where he served 23 years. During that time, Banks served in various roles in California, Arizona, Texas and at the Washington D.C. headquarters.
In a 2024 video about his role as Texas Border Czar, Banks described how the state of Texas was taking serious steps to stop illegal activity at its border. “The border has always been a very tough issue, not just politically, but actually the terrain, because every time you put something in place that starts working, the cartels on the south side adjust.” Nevertheless, he said, Texas witnessed significant progress as a result of Operation Lone Star, and emphasized that Texas needs to continue its fight. “We need to continue building upon those successes. We need to continue putting in temporary infrastructure in the form of anti-climb fencing, concertina wire, razor wire, border buoy barriers.” He emphasized that Texas would not back down from securing the border and would instead double down on its efforts. “Texas is going to protect Texas. We’re going to defend Texas.”
Banks shared his views on a number of immigration issues in an interview with the Texas Public Policy Foundation in 2023, showing his deep understanding of the challenges at the border and in the interior. He discussed a range of public safety issues, including gangs, criminal aliens, drug trafficking and human smuggling. He highlighted how unaccompanied alien children have been used as pawns and become victims of the cartels and smugglers.
In the same interview, Banks railed against sanctuary cities, saying places like New York City have invited illegal aliens to their communities and shouldn’t be surprised when they end up in their city and do harm. He said he believes in strong deterrent measures as well as consequences and prosecution for breaking the law.
Banks has seen how the Biden-Harris open border policies have played out, including the use of CBP One and allowing aliens to enter at ports of entry and be released on parole. He discussed how migrants were funneled to ports of entry, moving border agents off the line to process them, calling it a “shell game” that didn’t eliminate the dangers of border agents or migrants. He said, “This has been the most inhumane administration for illegal immigrants that I have seen in my career.”
Banks has acknowledged that an open border doesn’t just affect Texas. He has said, “Every state has really become a border state.” Now, Banks will have to take what he has learned in Texas and apply it nationally to keep all Americans safe.
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