President Trump’s Border Patrol chief is reportedly stepping down less than two years after taking over the agency at the center of the administration’s immigration crackdown.
According to Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks said Thursday that he is resigning effective immediately.
“It’s just time,” Banks told Melugin.
The move marks a major shakeup inside the Trump administration’s border enforcement operation, where Banks became one of the most visible faces of the White House’s hardline immigration agenda.
Banks was selected by President Trump shortly after the 2024 election following his stint as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s border czar, where he helped oversee Operation Lone Star and aggressive state-led enforcement efforts along the southern border.
He officially became the 27th chief of the U.S. Border Patrol after being sworn in on Jan. 22, 2025.
Before joining the Trump administration, Banks spent roughly 25 years with the Border Patrol after entering the agency in 2000. During his career, he held leadership posts in Texas, Arizona, and California, including assignments in the Rio Grande Valley.
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Banks also served 10 years in the U.S. Navy as a master-at-arms before entering federal law enforcement.
In a 2025 interview with Customs and Border Protection, Banks said border security was directly tied to protecting American sovereignty and praised agents for restoring what he described as operational control at the Southern border under Trump-era policies.
Throughout 2025 and 2026, Banks frequently defended the administration’s deportation operations and border enforcement measures during television appearances and public statements.
His tenure coincided with a dramatic decline in illegal border crossings compared to levels seen during the Biden administration, a point repeatedly touted by Trump officials and congressional Republicans.
No successor had been announced as of Thursday afternoon, and neither the Department of Homeland Security nor Customs and Border Protection had released additional details about Banks’ departure.
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