ABOVE: Chief of Police Chris Magnus. (Photo via City of Tucson)
President Joe Biden has announced he plans to nominate the openly gay police chief of Tucson, Arizona, to become the next U.S. Customs and Border Protection commissioner.
Chris Magnus has been the chief of the Tucson Police Department since 2016.
He was previously the police chief in Richmond, California, and Fargo, North Dakota. Magnus’ bio that the White House released April 12 notes he has been with his husband, Terrance Cheung, for 15 years.
“Chris Magnus is currently the police chief in Tucson, Arizona, a diverse city close to the U.S.-Mexican border,” said the White House in its announcement.
Tucson is roughly 70 miles north of the border.
The White House notes “because of Tucson’s proximity to the border, he has extensive experience in addressing immigration issues.” Magnus also criticized former President Trump’s hardline immigration policies.
“I am, of course, very honored to be nominated by the president to lead Customs and Border Protection,” said Magnus in a statement, according to KVOA, a Tucson television station. “I look forward to speaking with senators and hearing their thoughts and concerns.”
Tucson Mayor Regina Romero and U.S. Sens. Mark Kelly and Kyrsten Sinema (D-Ariz.) also congratulated Magnus.
“Chief Chris Magnus’s nomination to lead Customs and Border Protection represents a positive step toward ensuring the administration understands and addresses the needs of Arizona communities,” said Sinema in a statement. “Our state pays the price for the federal government’s failure to fix a broken immigration system.”
“I’ll continue working to ensure the administration takes meaningful steps to support our border communities, secure the border, and treat all migrants and unaccompanied children fairly and humanely — and I look forward to talking with Chief Magnus soon about his nomination,” she added.
