Top border official resigns after being told to quit or be fired 

U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Chris Magnus resigned from his position after being told to quit or be fired, the White House announced in a press release on Saturday. 

"Thank you for the opportunity to serve as your Senate-confirmed Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection over the past year. It has been a privilege and honor to be part of your administration," Magnus said in the resignation letter shared by the White House. 

"I am submitting my resignation effective immediately but wish you and your administration the very best going forward. Thank you again for this tremendous opportunity," he added.

President Joe Biden accepted Magnus’ resignation letter less than a year after appointing him to the position that oversaw the country’s international borders, the press release said. 

"The President has accepted the resignation of Christopher Magnus, the Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection. President Biden appreciates Commissioner Magnus’ nearly forty years of service and the contributions he made to police reform during his tenure as police chief in three U.S. cities. The President thanks Mr. Magnus for his service at CBP and wishes him well," White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said. 

A government source said that Magnus was told to resign or be fired by Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas. 

Mayorkas has not yet publicly explained why he asked Magnus to step down and there have been no allegations of wrongdoing. 

Magnus’ resignation comes as the U.S. is seeing a record-breaking number of undocumented migrants attempting to enter the country by crossing the U.S.-Mexico border. 

In the Fiscal Year 2022, which ended in September, at least 2.4 million migrants were detained at the border—a 37% increase from the previous fiscal year.