President Donald Trump's dramatic purge of top Homeland Security officials left departing Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen surrounded by outgoing aides and 'acting' officials at a ribbon cutting ceremony for a building where she won't get to work.
Nielsen, whose last day was Wednesday as part of a hastily announced 'orderly transition,' showed up for the event – as did several who are already on the way out.
Among them is Secret Service head of Randolph 'Tex' Alles, who was sacked after Nielsen was forced to resign Sunday, in a move that the White House says did not have to do with the agency's statement blaming club staff for the security breach at the president's Mar-a-Lago club.
STAFF CUTS; Outgoing Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, front center left, cuts a ribbon accompanied by outgoing acting deputy secretary Claire Grady, front center right, Incoming Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, front left, and Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration David Pekoske, front right at the dedication ceremony at the Homeland Security headquarters Center Building at the old St. Elizabeths Hospital, Wednesday, April 10, 2019, in Washington. Wednesday was Nielsen's last day on the job after her forced resignation
The event was attended by officials serving in an 'acting' capacity due to the purge, which accompanied the president's call for a 'tougher' immigration policy after more than 100,000 illegal immigrants made it past the border in March despite Trump's call for a crackdown.
Although Nielsen has been publicly identified with the administration's child-separation policy, President Trump has fumed in recent weeks about the continued influx of illegal immigrants, and threatened to close the southern border before backing off.
Nielsen returned home early from a conference in Europe after leaving the country amid what the president has branded an immigration crisis, reprogramming appropriated funds and bringing in the military to replace sections of border barrier.
U.S. Customs and Border Protection Kevin McAleenan, who Trump designated as the acting head of DHS, was there.
Nielsen had announced her sudden resignation Sunday, but stayed on to assure an 'orderly transition'
Another attendee was Ron Vietiello, who Trump had nominated to serve as head of ICE before abruptly pulling the nomination – stunning aides on Capitol Hill and at the White House.
Another ousted official, Claire Grady, was also there. Grady served as acting deputy of Homeland Security – a post that it was revealed prevented McAleenan from moving up to the 'acting' role as Trump wanted. Nielsen announced Grady's departure Tuesday night.
Transportation Security Administration Administrator David Pekoske is expected to be named to the acting deputy slot.
When Nielsen spoke, she said she wasn't sure that she would still lead the agency when it opened. She squeaked by, although she didn't get to occupy the historic 19th century office for the secretary at the former St. Elizabeth's medical facility, the first federal psychiatric hospital.
Amid the staff turmoil, President Donald Trump claimed Wednesday that it didn't matter who ran the Department of Homeland Security because the true person in charge is 'me.'
'There's only one person that's running it. Do you know who that is? It's me,' Trump said in response to a question from DailyMail.com before he left the White House for a trip to Texas.
The president was also asked if he'd considering appointing his hardline adviser Stephen Miller to the job as Miller directs immigration policy in the White House and has been behind the push for Trump's 'tougher' border stance.
Claire Grady, the acting Homeland Security Department deputy secretary, offered the President her resignation, effective Wednesday
President Donald Trump claimed that it didn't matter who ran the Department of Homeland Security because the true person in charge is 'me'
White House adviser Stephen Miller has been running immigration policy in the White House
Trump didn't answer yes or no but praised Miller, who has come under attack from some as a 'white nationalist' for his isolationist stance.
'Steven is an excellent guy. He's a wonderful person. People don't know him. He has been with me from the beginning. He is a brilliant man,' the president said.
Trump also defended Miller on Tuesday via Twitter. He accused Rep. Ilhan Omar of targeting Jewish people after she called Miller a white nationalist via her twitter account.
Miller encouraged Trump to retracted his nomination of Ron Vitiello to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement in an effort to take a tougher line on border security.
The 33-year-old Miller is known as a sharp-tongued promoter of hawkish immigration policies and believed to be pushing Trump to the right on the issue.
The White House is considering nominating Julie Kirchner, the former head of an anti-immigration group, to lead ICE, Politico reported, citing White House sources.
Kirchner is the former executive director of the Federation for American Immigration Reform, which pushes for lower levels of immigration.
The president also denied on Tuesday that he is 'cleaning house' at the Department of Homeland Security in the wake of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen's departure and claimed he would not separate migrant children from their parents at the border.
'I never said I'm cleaning house. I don't know who came up with that,' Trump told reporters in the Oval Office.
Acting Deputy Secretary of Homeland Security Claire Grady offered her resignation, clearing the way for Trump's pick to lead the department
His Homeland Security Department was in turmoil following the dismissal of Nielsen and Secret Service Director Randolph 'Tex' Alles.
Additionally, on Tuesday evening, Nielsen announced the departure of Claire Grady, the Number Two at the department.
Grady's departure paves the way for Kevin McAleenan to lead DHS in an acting capacity. Trump announced he was naming McAleenan to the acting secretary job on the same day he announced Nielsen's departure.
But there were legal complications as federal law indicated Grady, the acting deputy secretary, should rise to the top spot ahead of McAleenan, who is commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
Grady's resignation ends the legal obstacles. Nielsen's last day at the department is Wednesday, which is also Grady's last day.
'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,' Nielsen wrote on Twitter.
Two other senior DHS officials were hanging on to their jobs by a thread on Tuesday afternoon.
He also denied reports that he's bringing back his heavily-criticized 'zero tolerance' policy that saw more than 2,700 children separated from their families who illegally crossed the border.
'We're not looking to do that, no. But it does bring a lot more people to the border,' he added. He repeated,' We're not looking to do it.'
President Donald Trump denied he is 'cleaning house' at the Department of Homeland Security after the dismissal of Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen
Homeland Security Department is in turmoil following the dismissal of Kirstjen Nielsen (above) and Secret Service Director Randolph 'Tex' Alles. Three other senior DHS officials were reportedly hanging on to their jobs by a thread
He is looking to crackdown on 'meritless' asylum claims, though, a senior administration official revealed on Tuesday.
More chaos could be in store for the department.
A senior administration official on Tuesday inferred that Lee Cissna, the head of USCIS, and John Mitnick, general counsel at DHS, should repent or pack up their offices.
It wasn't clear whether Claire Grady, the acting deputy DHS secretary was, also in danger of being fired. She should technically become the acting head of DHS when Nielsen leaves for good this Wednesday, but Trump seems determined to buck the law and put Kevin McAleenan, commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, in charge, instead.
Removing her would make way for Trump's desired overhaul, suggesting that at least one more high-profile departure within DHS was on its way.
The official said that 'DHS wasn't working' and that while it 'obviously has a law enforcement mission, it also has a law enforcement bureaucracy' of civil servants who were promoted before Trump's election.
The president on Tuesday also vowed to get tougher on border security several rooms down.
'We have bad laws,' he told reporters at the top of a meeting with Egypt's Fattah el-Sisi. 'We're fighting the bad laws, the bad things that are coming out of Congress.
