U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael “Mike” Banks has stepped down effective immediately, becoming the latest senior immigration official to leave the Department of Homeland Security during a period of major leadership turnover under DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin.
Banks confirmed his departure Thursday, ending a public service career that spanned nearly 37 years, including time in the U.S. Navy and multiple leadership roles within Border Patrol. In farewell remarks to staff, he said it was time to return to Texas and focus on his family and ranch. Reflecting on his tenure, Banks praised agents for transforming what he described as a “chaotic and unsecured” southern border into “the most secure border this country has ever seen.” He also noted that more work remained before achieving full operational control of the border.
Rodney Scott, commissioner of Customs and Border Protection, thanked Banks for his decades of service and credited him with helping guide the agency through one of the most difficult periods in modern border enforcement.
Banks was appointed Border Patrol chief in January 2025 by President Donald Trump after previously serving as Texas Gov. Greg Abbott’s border czar during Operation Lone Star. The Texas-led initiative was launched in response to record migration levels during President Joe Biden’s administration.
Before taking the national role, Banks worked in several Border Patrol positions, including leadership at the Weslaco, Texas station. He previously left the agency in 2022 after disagreeing with Biden-era immigration policies, including changes to migrant processing procedures. His appointment in 2025 was unusual because the Border Patrol chief position had traditionally been filled by career agency officials rather than political appointees.
During Banks’s leadership, Border Patrol expanded operations beyond the southern border, deploying agents to cities including Los Angeles, Chicago, and Minneapolis as part of broader immigration enforcement efforts. Some of those operations, particularly those overseen by former commander Gregory Bovino, drew criticism over aggressive tactics and widespread street-level enforcement.
Banks’s exit follows several other high-profile departures within DHS. Former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem was removed earlier this year after controversies tied to government advertising campaigns and backlash surrounding fatal federal shootings in Minneapolis. Meanwhile, acting ICE Director Todd Lyons is also preparing to leave his post at the end of May. The department has said longtime immigration official David Venturella will replace Lyons on an interim basis.
Throughout Banks’s tenure, DHS repeatedly pointed to declining illegal border crossings as evidence that enforcement policies were working. However, some federal data and local reports indicated migrant encounters continued in certain areas, including thousands of attempted crossings recorded earlier this year.
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