Former Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen on Monday underscored her support for President Trump’s hard-line immigration policy.
“I share the president’s goal of securing the border,” Nielsen said outside her home Monday in her first public remarks since the announcement of her resignation. “I will continue to support all efforts to continue to address the humanitarian and security crisis on the border.”
Nielsen was fired Sunday after a meeting with President Trump at the Oval Office. Trump has said he wants a tougher stance on illegal immigration. Early reports suggested the president reportedly blamed Nielsen for an influx of migrants arriving at the southern border.
[Related: Trump fired Kirstjen Nielsen by tweet]
Speaking to reporters for the first time since her resignation, @SecNielsen thanks @realDonaldTrump.
“I share the President’s goal of securing the border. I will continue to support all efforts to continue to address the humanitarian and security crisis on the border.” pic.twitter.com/C0lv85TiNv
— Washington Examiner (@dcexaminer) April 8, 2019
At the crux of the strain in the working relationship between Trump and Nielsen was the so-called “family separation policy,” which mandated that children and adults who enter the country illegally seeking asylum be detained by federal immigration officials separately.
Trump had recently said he wanted the policy reinstated. Nielsen resisted that suggestion.
In her resignation letter published Sunday, Nielsen said that she hoped the next DHS director will receive help from Congress in addressing immigration policy.
