Tucson Police Chief receives Senate confirmation hearing to be next CBP commissioner

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Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus received a confirmation hearing from the U.S. Senate Finance Committee on Tuesday as the next commissioner for Customs and Border Protection.

Magnus previously served as the chief of police in Fargo, ND, from 1999 to 2006 before becoming the chief of police in Richmond, California. In 2016, Magnus was named chief of the Tucson Police Department.

Magnus was nominated by President Joe Biden on April 12, but his confirmation was delayed by Senator Ron Wyden (D-Ore.), Chairman of the committee.

Wyden told the Washington Post in July that he will not proceed with confirmation until the Department of Justice and Homeland Security have answered questions about sending federal law enforcement agencies to Portland, Oregon in 2020 to quell civil unrest.

Senators at Tuesday’s hearing expressed concern about the increase in undocumented border crossings, the treatment of migrants at the southern border, the importation of goods made using forced labor and the enforcement of trade laws.

Magnus’ confirmation hearing comes as encounters with migrants on the southwest border hit a 21-year high.

Wyden said in his opening speech: “CBP is not only investigating allegations of forced labor and, if necessary, calling for remedial action, but is also enforcing the ban on the entry of forced labor products. This is a difficult task which in turn requires quick action and a lot of communication with companies, human rights organizations and others. “

Arizona’s two US Senators – who are not on the Finance Committee – introduced Magnus at the hearing on Tuesday.

“Tucson City officials and NGOs have partnered with the Department of Homeland Security to manage the large numbers of asylum seekers and other migrants arriving in Arizona,” said Senator Kyrsten Sinema, D. “The Role of Chief Magnus in this partnership has shown that he understands the current problems on our border. ”

Sinema added that “CBP needs a commissioner who knows how to thwart organized criminal networks while enabling an efficient flow of legitimate trade and travel.”

Senator Mark Kelly, D, also campaigned for the Magnus nomination.

“Arizona shares a 373-mile border with Mexico,” he said. “Arizona residents know that too often Washington is far from this reality. As we continue to overcome the Covid-19 pandemic and work to rebuild our economy, it is vital that our trade and tourism economies also recover. “

In his opening address, Magnus stated that “the modern roles of the CBP – facilitating immigration, protecting our nation’s border security, promoting trade and travel, and more – are as important today as they were in the early days after our nation was founded.”

Magnus said that if confirmed, he would work with Congress to protect intellectual property, agriculture, and the products Americans rely on.

“Dealing with forced labor would be one of my high priorities,” said Magnus. “The abolition of forced labor is more than a philosophical endeavor, it is a moral imperative. We need to enforce the laws that punish this modern slavery while making trade easier for the overwhelming majority of companies that do responsibly. “

When asked by Senator Robert Mendndez, DN.J. how he plans to address future spurts of migration, Magnus said that if confirmed, he would like to build “the strongest relationships” with his Mexican counterparts and maintain a line of communication so that Mexico can one can play a greater role in managing the current surge in border crossings.

In response to a question from Senator John Cornyn, R-Texas, Magnus agreed that the Biden administration’s approach to the southern border serves as a “draw” for migrants attempting to cross the southern border.

If confirmed by the US Senate, Magnus would become the first Senate-confirmed commissioner of the CBP since Kevin McAleenan to be appointed acting US Secretary of Homeland Security in April 2019.

Magnus would be the first Arizonan to serve as CBP commissioner since the agency was founded in 2003, when Customs was moved from the Treasury Department to the Homeland Security Department.

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