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Chad Wolf began his tenure at the Department of Homeland Security nearly two decades ago, in the agency’s infancy. In February, Wolf announced New Yorkers were suspended from enrolling in trusted traveler programs because of the state’s “sanctuary” policies. It was essentially his introduction to the nation as DHS’s acting secretary. “It’s particularly interesting coming from New York again, from where 9/11 occurred,” Wolf later said. “We want to make sure we share information and not continue to withhold information.”
But last month, the department admitted Wolf made false claims to implement the trusted traveller ban. Several states besides New York wouldn’t let the agency access to DMV records. Wolf repeatedly said “New York is the only state, and I think that bears repeating, the only state that prohibits information sharing.”
The move was part of a transformation Wolf has undergone as he grew within the agency. As DHS has become more political, so has Wolf, perpetuating President Trump’s travel bans, crackdowns on domestic protests, and other controversial campaigns. This change has led some officials in the agency to wonder if there were never enough protections to shield DHS from a president’s whims. The New York Times
In other federal immigration news…
GOP Fears Kobach Win
On Thursday, top GOP operatives reportedly held a private Zoom call to discuss efforts to prevent a potential Democratic win in Kansas’ Senate race. During the presentation, National Republican Senatorial Committee executive director Kevin McLaughlin warned that if immigration hardliner Kris Kobach won Tuesday’s Kansas Senate primary, it could “doom” the GOP Senate majority and possibly hurt Trump in his reelection bid. Kobach advocated for Trump’s immigration crackdown and a “Muslim registry” that would’ve tracked immigrants from Muslim-majority countries, among many other extreme measures. He ended up losing to Roger Marshall, the establishment GOP’s pick for the seat. Politico
