AAEI commends the U.S. Senate for confirmed former Tucson Police Chief Chris Magnus to become Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP).
Magnus is the first CBP commissioner confirmed by the Senate since 2019, when Kevin McAleenan become acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) during the Trump Administration.
“AAEI applauds the Senate for taking the important step toward alleviating many of these ills facing U.S. importers and exporters,” says AAEI President and CEO Eugene Laney. “With supply chain disruptions, port congestion, and product shortages and inflation, the time is now for the nation to have a Senate-confirmed leader in the most vital agency charged with ensuring that U.S. products and services reach their intended markets.”
AAEI sent a letter to the Senate Finance Committee this fall calling for the confirmation process to proceed. AAEI leaders met with Magnus privately in August to discuss his ideas on trade security and facilitation. The AAEI leaders were taken with his talent and experience in solving complex issues. They found his knack for connecting disparate groups encouraging, given his achievements with community policing programs, which will be critical as CBP takes on the challenges of addressing forced labor, port congestion, and 21st Century Customs.