ARIZONA, USA — Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus has a new job: He was offered the chance to lead U.S. Customs and Border Protection, the federal agency in charge of policing the U.S.- Mexico border.
Magnus has led the Tucson police department since 2016. During his time there, he’s implemented de-escalating training, an event review process and programs to promote officer health and wellness.
President Joe Biden nominated Magnus to be the commissioner of the federal agency, along with announcing other key leadership positions within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services.
If confirmed by the Senate, Magnus would lead a team 60 times the size of his current department. His role would oversee U.S. Border Patrol green-uniformed officers and the Office of Field Operations, which oversee the country’s ports of entry, stationed along the land and water borders and at international airports.
Magnus was a vocal critic of President Donald Trump’s immigration policies.
In 2017, the Tucson Police Department declined to assist Border Patrol in recapturing an escaped suspect.
Magnus said cooperating with tougher immigration enforcement policies damaged relations between law enforcement and migrant communities. Although Magnus opposed efforts to make Tucson a “sanctuary city.”
Border Patrol union officials said Magnus was “dangerous” and called him “an ultra-liberal social engineer who was given a badge and a gun by the city of Tucson” in a 2018 Facebook post.
Tucson’s Mayor Regina Romero said in a statement that Magnus “has always understood the importance of distinguishing the role of local law enforcement from federal immigration enforcement and how critical this is to protecting community trust." She added that he has gained valuable experience as a borderlands police chief.
This past October, the Police Executive Research Forum, which works with departments all throughout the U.S., gave Magnus its leadership award because of the community-based policing model he implemented in Tucson that “serve as models for police agencies across the country.”
“This is a very needed change in leadership and in thinking outside of the box,” said Tucson’s State Representative Randy Friese, who has met the chief on several occasions.
“I think he will bring a lot of creative solutions and compassionate solutions to our immigration issues,” Friese added.
Before Tucson, Magnus was a police chief in Fargo, North Dakota, and Richmond, California.
Last June, he offered to resign from his position after 27-year-old Carlos Ingram-Lopez, a Hispanic man who died while in police custody. The city manager rejected his request.
Magnus said he was honored to be nominated and looked forward to the confirmation process, adding “serving as Tucson Chief of Police has been, and continues to be, one of the best experiences of my career in policing.”
If confirmed, Magnus would be the first openly gay Customs and Border Patrol commissioner. He grew up in Lansing, Michigan, and is the son of an immigrant from Oslo, Norway.
12 News reached out to the National Border Patrol Council President for comment, but he said he didn’t have time to comment on the matter on Monday.
“The confirmation process is never a certainty,” Magnus said in the statement. “As the Senate moves forward with its deliberations, I remain committed to serving as your Chief of Police to the best of my ability.”
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