The chief of staff to the secretary for the Department of Homeland Security suddenly resigned Monday, according to multiple reports.
Karen Olick, the top staffer at the DHS who reported directly to Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas, told her colleagues Monday that she was leaving her post, Politico and CNN reported Monday afternoon.
In an email announcement, Mayorkas told employees that Olick “decided to resign her position and pursue new opportunities.” Olick joined the DHS at the start of the Biden administration.
However, in her personal email announcing her departure, Olick hinted at how exhausting the job had become.
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“Though too often underappreciated by our fellow citizens, I am continually struck by how many millions of Americans sleep in safety every night because so many at DHS do not sleep,” Olick wrote.
Her departure comes as the DHS faces a series of crises. A surge of migrants has been encountered illegally crossing the southern border each month since March, more than any time since 2000. Additionally, the DHS oversees the relocation of 100,000 Afghans who are flown to the United States in the wake of President Joe Biden’s troop withdrawal last month.
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Jennifer Higgins, a 20-year career employee, has been tapped to take over as chief of staff until a permanent replacement can be found. Higgins works at U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services as the refugee, asylum, and international operations associate director.
DHS did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
