Trump Nominates Kelly Deputy Nielsen to lead DHS

Legislative Update By: RJ Hauman

Last week, President Trump formally nominated Kirstjen Nielsen, an aide to White House chief of staff John Kelly, to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). (The Hill, Oct. 11, 2017) Nielsen served as Kelly’s top aide during his stint as DHS secretary earlier this year and continued to work as his deputy chief of staff after he moved to the West Wing. (Id.) Previously, Nielsen served President Bush as Special Assistant to the President for Homeland Security and Senior Director for Prevention, Preparedness, and Response. (Id.)

Trump, joined by Nielsen in the East Room of the White House, said it was “hard to imagine a more qualified candidate for this critical position.” (White House Press Release, Oct. 13, 2017) The president also commended Acting Secretary Elaine Duke’s service in the wake of numerous natural disasters on American soil. (Id.) Duke will now serve alongside Nielsen as Deputy Secretary at DHS. (Id.)

In her remarks, Nielsen thanked Trump for the nomination and noted her commitment to the safety of the American people. (Id.) “If confirmed as the sixth secretary of homeland security, I will work every day to enforce the law, secure our borders, our coasts and waterways, ant do protect Americans from dangerous criminals, terrorists, cyberattacks, and all the other threats facing our homeland today,” Nielsen said. (Id.)

While Nielsen’s experience in the area of immigration policy is limited, FAIR President Dan Stein is optimistic that she will faithfully implement the Trump agenda. “The president has laid out his immigration priorities – building the wall, mandating E-Verify, cracking down on sanctuary cities, and moving to a merit-based immigration system – and we look forward to hearing how she’ll work to have these ideas implemented,” said Stein. “Given her background and experience as a key lieutenant to Secretary Kelly, she’ll be ready to address the mounting national security threats the nation faces by unchecked immigration.”