Claire Grady, acting deputy secretary at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), offered President Trump Donald TrumpTrump lashes out after grand jury seated for New York criminal probe Schumer tees up vote on Jan. 6 commission bill Senators struggle to save Jan. 6 commission MORE her resignation Tuesday as the agency finds its upper ranks thinned after a string of departures. Her exit comes after DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen Kirstjen Michele NielsenLeft-leaning group to track which companies hire former top Trump aides Rosenstein: Zero tolerance immigration policy 'never should have been proposed or implemented' House Republican condemns anti-Trump celebrities during impeachment hearing MORE announced Sunday she was leaving her post. Trump subsequently withdrew his nominee to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) and the White House announced that Secret Service Director Randolph "Tex" Alles would be departing the agency. ADVERTISEMENT “For the last two years, Claire has served @DHSgov w excellence and distinction. She has been an invaluable asset to DHS – a steady force and a knowledgeable voice,” Nielsen tweeted in announcing Grady’s resignation, adding it will be effective Wednesday. “Her sound leadership and effective oversight have impacted every DHS office and employee and made us stronger as a Department. Clair has had a remarkable career in public service - 28 years at the Departments of Homeland Security & Defense - that is coming to a close. I am thankful for Claire’s expertise, dedication & friendship & am filled w gratitude for her exemplary service to DHS & to our country," she continued in a series of tweets. Acting Deputy Secretary Claire Grady has offered the President her resignation, effective tomorrow. For the last two years, Claire has served @DHSgov w excellence and distinction. She has been an invaluable asset to DHS – a steady force and a knowledgeable voice. — Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen (@SecNielsen) April 9, 2019 Grady’s departure was expected after Nielsen’s resignation became public, though it means the department will still be without a Senate-confirmed deputy secretary as the White House works to replace the agency’s top leadership. It also clears the way for Customs and Border Protection (CBP) head Kevin McAleenan to come on as the new acting DHS secretary. Trump is likely looking to revamp the agency into one that he believes would more effectively reduce illegal border crossings and support his hard-line immigration efforts to build more barriers at the border and curtail migrants’ prospects for asylum. The rapid-fire departures from DHS have alarmed lawmakers on Capitol Hill, with some suggesting Trump is impeding progress on his own policies. “The president has to have some stability and particularly with the number one issue that he’s made for his campaign, throughout his 2 1/2 years of presidency,” Sen. Chuck Grassley Chuck GrassleyDemocratic feud erupts over scope of military sexual assault bill First Democrat announces Senate bid against Iowa's Grassley GOP senators introduce bill to reimpose waived Nord Stream sanctions MORE (R-Iowa) told The Washington Post on Monday. “He’s pulling the rug out from the very people that are trying to help him accomplish his goal.”<doc-sep>Department of Homeland Security's Acting Deputy Secretary Claire Grady has resigned effective tomorrow, a tweet from outgoing Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen said. Acting Deputy Secretary Claire Grady has offered the President her resignation, effective tomorrow. For the last two years, Claire has served @DHSgov w excellence and distinction. She has been an invaluable asset to DHS – a steady force and a knowledgeable voice. — Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen (@SecNielsen) April 9, 2019 Claire has led the men and women of DHS who support our operational staff. Her sound leadership and effective oversight have impacted every DHS office and employee and made us stronger as a Department. Clair has had a remarkable career in public service... — Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen (@SecNielsen) April 9, 2019 ... - 28 years at the Departments of Homeland Security & Defense - that is coming to a close. I am thankful for Claire’s expertise, dedication & friendship & am filled w gratitude for her exemplary service to DHS & to our country. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors. — Sec. Kirstjen Nielsen (@SecNielsen) April 9, 2019 The news comes after Secretary Nielsen's resignation on Sunday. The changes at DHS are said to be part of a broader staff change pushed by White House senior adviser Stephen Miller. Some called into question the legality of Trump tapping Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan as acting DHS Secretary. The law required DHS Secretary Nielsen to be replaced by the (Acting) Deputy Secretary. In order for CBP Commissioner McAleenan to become Acting Secretary, as POTUS wants, Grady had to quit or be fired. Thus: https://t.co/SfwbtMu7dl — Jake Tapper (@jaketapper) April 9, 2019 White House officials have been pushing the Claire Grady to resign, since if Grady is still serving in that role when Nielsen officially steps down tomorrow, a federal statute would require her to be named acting secretary instead of McAleenan. https://t.co/eo0YePyP2B https://t.co/NiiNc5yW0X — Rebecca Ballhaus (@rebeccaballhaus) April 9, 2019 This means Trump’s pick, Kevin McAleenan, can take over tomorrow. As acting deputy secretary, Grady was in line to take over when Nielsen resigned. Some speculated she’d force the admin to fire her. https://t.co/dlSwtv5wkf — Kaitlan Collins (@kaitlancollins) April 9, 2019 Why isn't Claire Grady the acting secretary? See 6 U.S.C. §113(g). https://t.co/EcTtAhHPz3 — Anne Joseph O'Connell (@AJosephOConnell) April 7, 2019 Context here: When Nielsen got fired, Trump immediately announced that CBP chief McAleenan would serve as Acting Secretary. Later people pointed out that the statute mandates the acting job go to Grady instead. So now she’s fired too! https://t.co/XTarX1vGhf — Matthew Yglesias (@mattyglesias) April 10, 2019 This is a breaking news story. As more information comes in, this post will be updated.<doc-sep>WASHINGTON – Another top official is leaving the Department of Homeland Security, paving the way for President Donald Trump to install his preferred choice to head the agency. Claire Grady, the department's undersecretary of management and the second in line to lead, has offered her resignation, effective Wednesday, according to outgoing DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. The departure continues Trump's purge of high-ranking officials at the massive Department of Homeland Security. In addition to requesting Sunday's resignation of Nielsen, Trump and aides forced the removal of Secret Service Director Randolph "Tex" Alles. Grady's departure will remove a bureaucratic issue that emerged when Trump sought Nielsen's resignation. In announcing Nielsen's departure, Trump also said Kevin McAleenan – the commissioner of Customs and Border Protection – would become the department's acting secretary. The statute that governs DHS, however, mandates that the department's under secretary of management – Grady – take over as acting secretary in the event of a departure by the secretary. Nielsen, who announced Grady's departure over Twitter on Tuesday evening, said Grady had served both the Defense Department and Homeland Security for 28 years with "excellence and distinction." "She has been an invaluable asset to DHS – a steady force and a knowledgeable voice," Nielsen said. "Her sound leadership and effective oversight have impacted every DHS office and employee and made us stronger as a Department." The Trump administration is also reportedly examining the removal of additional DHS officials in what many have characterized a "purge" within the department. They include Lee Cissna, director of United States Citizenship and Immigration Services, his policy director, Kathy Nuebel Kovarik, and John Mitnick, the department's general counsel. Last week, Trump withdrew the nomination of Ronald D. Vitiello, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Services (ICE), to do the job full time. "We're going in a little different direction," Trump said on Friday. "Ron's a good man. But we're going in a tougher direction." A change in leadership:Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigns amid migrant surge at US-Mexico border More:Who is Kevin McAleenan, Trump's acting homeland security chief after Kirstjen Nielsen leaves? A number of media reports have said White House adviser Stephen Miller is driving the shakeup within the DHS and encouraging Trump's desire to appoint people who will apply "tougher" immigration policies. The most senior Republican member of the Senate issued a rare public warning to Trump over the changes, saying the president might be "pulling the rug out from the very people that are trying to help him" when it comes to achieving his immigration goals. Iowa Sen. Chuck Grassley told Fox News on Monday that "it would be a real mistake" to "fire good people like that," referring to the list of additional officials who could be ousted in the shakeup. Grassley told The Washington Post that he was "very, very concerned." Contributing: William Cummings, USA TODAY More:Grassley warns Trump may be 'pulling the rug out' from those helping him on immigration White House departures:Who's been fired and who resigned<doc-sep>Under Secretary of Homeland Security Claire Grady's resignation comes amid a broader homeland security staff shakeup pushed by White House senior adviser Stephen Miller. | Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty Images EMPLOYMENT & IMMIGRATION Nielsen: Acting DHS Deputy Grady offers resignation Claire Grady, the acting Homeland Security Department deputy secretary, has offered to resign, according to outgoing Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. “Acting Deputy Secretary Claire Grady has offered the President her resignation, effective tomorrow,” Nielsen tweeted Tuesday evening. “For the last two years, Claire has served @DHSgov w excellence and distinction. She has been an invaluable asset to DHS – a steady force and a knowledgeable voice.” The resignation comes amid a broader Homeland Security staff shakeup pushed by White House senior adviser Stephen Miller. President Donald Trump on Sunday announced that Nielsen would step down from her post. Days before, the White House pulled its nominee to lead Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with Trump pledging to go in a “tougher direction.” When Trump announced Nielsen’s departure, he also tapped Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin McAleenan to become acting DHS secretary, a move that has raised legal questions. Grady, the undersecretary for management and acting deputy, was next in the department’s line of succession, as outlined in federal law. Miller has pressed to remove other immigration officials in recent days, including U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Francis Cissna and General Counsel John Mitnick, although hard-line immigration groups have rallied around Cissna. Grady was a career civil servant before joining the Trump administration and has nearly three decades of experience at DHS and the Defense Department. In written testimony for a June 2017 confirmation hearing, she stressed her management experience and said she would strive to deliver “maximum value for every dollar entrusted to the department.” DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.<doc-sep>
Outgoing Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kirstejen Nielsen on Tuesday announced the resignation of acting Deputy Secretary Claire Grady, two days after posting her own resignation letter to Twitter. "Acting Deputy Secretary Claire Grady has offered the President her resignation, effective tomorrow. For the last two years, Claire has served @DHSgov w excellence and distinction," Nielsen tweeted. "She has been an invaluable asset to DHS – a steady force and a knowledgeable voice." In a subsequent post, Nielsen complimented Grady's performance in the White House. "Her sound leadership and effective oversight have impacted every DHS office and employee and made us stronger as a Department. Claire has had a remarkable career in public service - 28 years at the Departments of Homeland Security & Defense - that is coming to a close," she wrote. "I am thankful for Claire's expertise, dedication & friendship & am filled w gratitude for her exemplary service to DHS & to our country. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors." ... - 28 years at the Departments of Homeland Security & Defense - that is coming to a close. I am thankful for Claire’s expertise, dedication & friendship & am filled w gratitude for her exemplary service to DHS & to our country. I wish her all the best in her future endeavors. — Secretary Kirstjen M. Nielsen (@SecNielsen) April 9, 2019 Nielsen, who announced her resignation on Twitter Sunday, also said she will stay on as DHS secretary through Wednesday to "assist with an orderly transition and ensure that key DHS missions are not impacted." Grady's resignation comes amid a Trump administration shakeup in recent days which has seen several top officials ousted from their roles. Following Nielsen's resignation on Sunday, Secret Service Director Randolph "Tex" Alles was forced out yesterday. Two other top staffers, U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Francis Cissna and Office of the General Counsel's John Mitnick, are also rumored to be facing a similar fate. Last week, President Donald Trump pulled Ronald Vitello's nomination to be the next confirmed head of immigration because he wanted to go with a "tougher direction." Various news outlets have reported that White House senior adviser Stephen Miller, who Trump recently empowered to lead his administration in implementing harsher border policies, was behind the sudden personnel changes within the DHS. An official told CNN that the Trump aide is "executing his plan" with a decapitation of the department's leadership team. "There is a near-systematic purge happening at the nation's second-largest national security agency," the source said. In a tweet citing two anonymous sources, CNN journalist Kaitlin Collins reported that Miller "directly lobbied President Trump to withdraw Ron Vitiello's nomination to lead ICE" as Vitiello "was not fully in favor of closing the southern border" separating the U.S. and Mexico. The Washington Post corroborated the claims through speaking to six administration officials. The White House did not immediately respond to Newsweek's request for comment.