This archive report was first published on 2 November 2019.
On November 1, 2019, President Trump announced that he would name Chad Wolf as the next acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, marking the fifth person to lead the agency responsible for securing the country.
Chad Wolf, who served as the chief of staff to former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, will take over the position after current Acting Secretary Kevin McAleenan steps down on November 11, 2019.
McAleenan's resignation was announced by White House spokesman Hogan Gidley, who praised McAleenan's service and stated that Wolf would serve as acting secretary in the interim.
Wolf's appointment has been met with confusion, as President Trump initially stated that Wolf would oversee the department, only to later clarify that McAleenan was still the acting secretary and Wolf was the acting under secretary for policy.
The Department of Homeland Security has been plagued by vacancies and internal clashes, with the agency not having a Senate-confirmed leader since April 2019. The chiefs of the agencies responsible for Trump's immigration agenda are also serving in an acting capacity.
