Border Patrol Chief Resigns, Latest in Series of Immigration Leadership Departures

US Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks resigned on Thursday, adding to a series of resignations by top immigration officials.

The Details: No official reason for Banks' resignation has been announced, however Banks told Fox News (Right bias), "It's just time. I feel like I got the ship back on course from the least secure, disatrous, chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen." It's unclear who will replace Banks as of Thursday night.

Previous Allegations: His resignation comes a month after the Washington Examiner (Lean Right) reported that six current and former border patrol employees accused Banks of paying for prostitutes during trips to Colombia and Thailand for over more than a decade. According to the outlet, the behavior had been investigated twice by Customs and Border Patrol (CBP) officials, with one inquiry reportedly ending abruptly while former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was in office.

For Context: Banks was appointed to the role in January. He worked for Border Patrol for two decades prior to taking the position. According to Reuters (Center), Banks was allied with Noem, who was fired by Trump in March. In April, ICE Director Todd Lyons also announced his resignation.

RELATED: Record Number of 'Voluntary Departures' from Immigrants Under Trump

How the Media Covered It: Some Left-rated outlets like The Guardian (Left), New Republic (Left) and Daily Beast (Left) focused on the allegations as a possible reason for the resignation. Other outlets on the left contextualized the resignation within a string of departures and "shake-ups" during President Trump's immigration crackdown, as well as violent clashes with ICE protestors. They generally didn't mention the allegations. The story was covered less by outlets on the right. Fox News highlighted Banks' career and his praise for Trump's immigration enforcement operations. It also mentioned the departure "rais[es] questions about future border security efforts." Reuters framed the story within "declining US public support" for Trump's immigration strategy and fewer arrests at the border.

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