Several high-profile figures have left the Department of Homeland Security, including Todd Lyons and Kristi Noem.
Published May 14, 2026
Mike Banks has resigned as head of the U.S. Border Patrol in the latest shakeup to President Donald Trump’s immigration operations.
On Thursday, Banks told Fox News that “the time has come” to step down, calling the announcement short. He also claimed credit for the decline in border crossings since President Trump took office for his second term.
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Fox News quoted Banks as saying, “I feel like we’ve gotten the ship back on track from the most insecure, horrible, chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen.” “It’s time to end the reign (sic).”
Banks’ resignation is the latest in a series of high-profile departures from the Trump administration over the past few months.
Many of them affect the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees the U.S. Border Patrol, and other immigration enforcement agencies, including Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
For example, in March, Kristi Noem, the Cabinet secretary in charge of DHS, was fired after questioning about her spending, including $20 million on an advertising campaign, and her handling of immigration operations.
Noem was later reappointed to Shield of the Americas, an initiative launched by President Trump to strengthen security across the Americas.
In April, Todd Lyons also announced that he would step down as acting ICE director at the end of this month.
Like Noem, Lyons was under pressure from President Trump to increase the number of immigrant detentions and deportations. Also, like Noem, he faced criticism for his staff’s aggressive tactics during enforcement operations.
For example, in January, two American citizens, Alex Preti and Renee Nicole Good, were shot and killed by federal agents during Operation Metro Surge, an immigration crackdown in Minnesota.
Mr. Banks served as chief of the Border Patrol for about a year and four months. He attributed his retirement to a desire to “enjoy life with my family.”
U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner Rodney Scott issued a statement thanking Scott for his “decades of service.”
Banks previously worked at various levels within the Border Patrol before retiring in 2023 to serve as Texas’ “border czar” under Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
“During his tenure as Secretary, the border went from chaos to the most secure border ever recorded, and we wish him and his family well,” Scott said in a statement.
Democrats on the House Homeland Security Committee announced Banks’ resignation after media reports surfaced accusing him of soliciting prostitutes overseas.
Their social media accounts posted: “Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks resigns following prostitution charges.” “Good for you.”
A CBP spokesperson told the Washington Examiner that the allegations were investigated and “the matter has been resolved.”
It is unclear who will replace Banks as the Border Patrol’s top official. But DHS has experienced a wave of new entrants into its upper echelons over the past few months.
On March 24, former senator and mixed martial arts fighter Markwayne Mullin was confirmed as Secretary of Homeland Security.
And just this Tuesday, the Trump administration agreed to appoint David Venturella, a former executive at the private prison company Geo Group, as acting director of ICE.
