US Border Patrol chief resigns 'effective immediately'

Border Patrol chief resigns "effective immediately"

US Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks is resigning effective immediately, Fox News's Bill Melugin reports. "It's just time...I feel like I got the ship back on course. From the least secure disastrous chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen. Time to pass the reigns, 37 years, it's time to enjoy the family and life," said Banks. 

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks is resigning his post. 

He confirmed the news to Fox News. Here’s the latest

Border Patrol chief resigns

What we know:

Banks said his resignation is effective immediately.

U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks at a roundtable discussion with local ranchers and employees from U.S. Customs and Border Protection led by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on January 7, 2026 in Brownsville, Texas. (Photo by Michae

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What we don't know:

It’s unclear who will replace him. The White House wasn’t immediately available for comment.

RELATED: Federal judge cracks down on ICE, rules agents in violation of limits on warrantless arrests

What they're saying:

"It's just time," Banks told Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin. "I feel like I got the ship back on course. From the least secure disastrous chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen. Time to pass the reigns, 37 years, it’s time to enjoy the family and life."

In a statement, the U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner, Rodney Scott, thanked Banks for his service "during one of the most challenging periods for border security."

The backstory:

CBP is one of the federal agencies that participated since last year in a series of immigration enforcement operations, carried out primarily in cities governed by Democrats —an effort that triggered a spike in arrests and led to the fatal shooting of two U.S. citizens in Minneapolis this year at the hands of federal immigration officers.

Banks’ resignation takes place two months after Markwayne Mullin, a former Republican senator from Oklahoma, became homeland security secretary. 

He's stepping down at the same time that ICE is also going through a leadership transition. Todd Lyons, the acting ICE director, is leaving later this month and will be replaced by David Venturella, who worked for years for private contractors before returning to government service.

CBP was established in 2003 and handles customs, immigration, and agricultural regulations to secure U.S. borders.

Banks returned to the Border Patrol last year after a long agency career that had never landed him in its senior ranks. His star had risen as border czar to Gov. Greg Abbott, R-Texas, during a period when illegal crossings reached record highs and the state launched a multibillion-dollar enforcement surge that led to turf battles with the Biden administration.