U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks resigns
Controversy over enforcement actions by Border Patrol and ICE led to a partial shutdown of DHS from February to late April.
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U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks at a roundtable discussion with local ranchers and employees from U.S. Customs and Border Protection led by U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem on January 7, 2026 in Brownsville, Texas.
Michael Gonzalez | Getty Images
U.S. Border Patrol Chief Mike Banks resigned on Thursday.
"We thank U.S. Border Patrol Chief Michael Banks for his decades of service to this country and congratulate him on his second retirement after returning to serve during one of the most challenging periods for border security," said U.S. Customs & Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott in a statement.
"During his time as Chief, the border was transformed from chaos to the most secure border ever recorded. We wish him and his family well," Scott said.
Fox News first reported that Banks was resigning from Border Patrol effective immediately.
"It's just time," Banks said, according to an X post by Fox congressional correspondent, Bill Melugin.
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"I feel like I got the ship back on course. From the least secure disastrous chaotic border to the most secure border this country has ever seen," Banks said, according to Melugin. "Time to pass the reigns, 37 years its time to enjoy the family and life."
Banks' resignation came six weeks after The Washington Examiner, citing six unnamed sources described as current and former Border Patrol employees, reported that Banks had "bragged" to co-workers while in his previous management role at Border Patrol about paying for sex with prostitutes while traveling abroad.
CNBC has requested comment from CBP about those allegations and whether they played a role in Banks' resignation.
A CBP spokesperson told the Examiner, in its report, that "these allegations date back more than a decade and were reviewed years ago."
"The matter was closed," the CBP spokesperson said in a statement quoted by the news outlet. "CBP takes allegations regarding misconduct seriously. We cherish the public's trust and work tirelessly to uphold the rule of law and hold ourselves accountable."
Controversy over enforcement actions by Border Patrol and Immigration and Customs Enforcement led to a partial shutdown of DHS from February to late April after congressional Democrats refused to approve funding for the parent agency due to concerns about immigration enforcement. A deal that ended the shutdown did not include funding for ICE and CBP.
