MOSCOW (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 01st November, 2019) The administration of US President Donald Trump has picked the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Under Secretary, Chad Wolf, to become the DHS chief, replacing Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan, media reported, citing people familiar with the plan.
On October 12, Trump announced that McAleenan was leaving his job, adding that a replacement would be announced the next week. Still, nearly three weeks after, no replacement has been announced.
The Politico news outlet reported, citing informed sources, that McAleenan was initially supposed to leave office on Thursday but he would stay until November 7. Earlier this week, the acting DHS head said he would stay on his position longer if it was necessary to ensure a smooth transition.
"This is an outstanding pick by the President. Chad is uniquely qualified to lead the Department and he's widely respected within DHS and the interagency community for his experience and vision," a senior Trump administration official told Politico.
Notably, the outlet added, citing several sources within the administration, that there were concerns that Wolf might have disagreements with Trump on the president's tough migration policy. Wolf is known to be a registered lobbyist for an association of IT companies that seek to keep a visa program for skilled foreign workers in place.
The DHS and agencies part of its structure have recently seen personnel changes amid Trump's migration policies that have drawn criticism from inside and outside the United States.
