Border patrol chief stepping down: ‘It is time’

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks is stepping down from his role after nearly a year and a half with the agency, sources told NewsNation, The Hill’s sister network.

Banks announced his retirement in an email to colleagues on Thursday, describing the position as “the honor of my lifetime.”

“After over 37 years in public service to the people of the United States [of] America, it is time for me to retire and return home to Texas to focus on my family and ranch,” he wrote.

Banks was appointed to lead Border Patrol, a component of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CPB), in January 2025, having previously served as an agent and border czar for the state of Texas. He told Fox News on Wednesday that his resignation was effective immediately.

“We thank U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks for his decades of service to this country and congratulate him on his second retirement after returning to serve during one of the most challenging periods for border security,” CBP Commissioner Rodney Scott said in a statement to NewsNation, in part.

In his farewell letter, Banks touted the agency’s effort to crack down on illegal........

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