President Joe Biden’s “border czar” will leave the White House at the end of April, an unexpected turn as the administration faces a surge of migrants along the southern U.S. border.
Roberta Jacobson, a former ambassador to Mexico, has handled key relationships with Northern Triangle governments in Central America since her appointment to Biden’s National Security Council as the border coordinator and as a special assistant to the president.
Jacobsen praised Biden’s efforts to reconfigure the country’s immigration system, which was radically pared down under former President Donald Trump.
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“They continue to drive toward the architecture that the president has laid out: an immigration system that is humane, orderly, and safe,” Jacobsen told the New York Times. “I leave optimistically. The policy direction is so clearly right for our country.”
National security adviser Jake Sullivan said in a statement that Jacobsen’s decision was consistent with a commitment to serve for about 100 days, or until the end of April, when she plans to leave government.
“She will do so having shaped our relationship with Mexico as an equal partner, having launched our renewed efforts with the Northern Triangle nations of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras, and having underscored this administration’s commitment to reenergizing the U.S. immigration system,” Sullivan said.
He then pointed to Vice President Kamala Harris, who Biden has charged with leading diplomatic relations with Mexico and the Northern Triangle countries to stem the flow of migrants, as Jacobsen’s heir apparent.
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“The vice president is overseeing a whole-of-government approach supported by outstanding public servants across the interagency,” Sullivan said, naming Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas and Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra.
Biden tasked Mayorkas and Becerra “to rebuild our immigration system,” Sullivan said.
