July 21, 2021

Dear Members of the Senate,

President Joe Biden has nominated Chief Chris Magnus (Tucson, AZ) to lead Customs and Border Protection (CBP). A longtime member of the Law Enforcement Immigration Task Force (LEITF), Chief Magnus is committed to supporting policies that promote law enforcement’s ability to protect all members of their communities, including immigrants. As his peers and fellow LEITF members, we can speak to his dedication and ability to ensure public safety while treating all immigrants with dignity and care.

Chief Magnus will bring valuable leadership and experience to CBP. He has been a police chief in three cities over the last 20 years. In Fargo, North Dakota, he instituted a refugee liaison program to foster better relationships between police and newly arrived immigrants. During his time in Richmond, a diverse city in California, he was instrumental in drastically reducing homicide and crimes rates while emphasizing community policing. As the current chief in Tucson, Arizona, he is well aware of the challenges communities near the border face. Fostering community trust has been a key goal for Chief Magnus in every department he has led, and he knows that trust is especially important when interacting with immigrant communities. In a 2017 op-ed for the New York Times, he wrote:

“If people are afraid of the police, if they fear they may become separated from their families or harshly interrogated based on their immigration status, they won’t report crimes or come forward as witnesses.”

If confirmed, Chief Magnus would continue advocating for fair and humane immigration policies without compromising on security. During his time as a LEITF member, he has called for alternatives to family detention, adequate care of child migrants, and a bipartisan solution for Dreamers. He has also publicly supported immigrant communities in the wake of anti-immigrant attacks.

Chief Magnus understands how to work effectively with law enforcement of all levels and the communities they serve. He knows that effective collaboration between federal, state, and local law enforcement, as well as with the community, is essential when dealing with any kind of challenge. In 2018, he testified to the Senate Judiciary Subcommittee on Border Security and Immigration during a hearing on transnational cartels and border security. During his testimony, he emphasized the importance of cooperation and community trust to ensure public safety:

“Improving border security and achieving community safety requires effective cooperation and trust – between federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies – but just as critically between immigrant communities and those public safety officers who serve them.”

Confirming Chief Magnus as Commissioner of Customs and Border Protection is a wise choice for the country’s security and treatment of immigrants. Given the continuing humanitarian crisis at the border, there is an urgent need for his leadership and expertise.

We support Chief Magnus’s nomination and call for a quick confirmation in order to allow his important work to commence.

Sincerely,

Sheriff Margaret Mims, LEITF Co-Chair

Fresno County, CA

Chief Orlando Rolón, LEITF Co-Chair
Orlando, FL

Chief Art Acevedo, LEITF Co-Chair
Miami, FL

Executive Director Dwayne Crawford National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)

Former National President Clarence Cox
National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE)

Chief Ernest Finley
Montgomery, AL

Lieutenant Andy Norris, Retired
Tuscaloosa, AL

Chief Ramon Batista, Retired
Mesa, AZ

Chief Roy Bermudez
Nogales, AZ

Chief Jack Harris, Retired
Phoenix, AZ

Chief Mike Soelberg
Gilbert, AZ

Chief Steve Stahl, Retired
Maricopa, AZ

Chief Roberto Villasenor, Retired
Tucson, AZ

Chief Bill Scott
San Francisco, CA

Chief David Valentin
Santa Ana, CA

Chief David Nisleit
San Diego, CA

Assistant Chief Michael Redmond
San Francisco, CA

Chief Paco Balderrama
Fresno, CA

Chief Dwight Henninger
Vail, CO

Chief Robert Contee
Washington, DC

Interim Chief Sylvia Moir
Napa, CA

Sheriff John Mina
Orange County, FL

Chief Roy W. Minter Jr.
Savannah, GA

Chief Chris Cole
Storm Lake, IA

Sheriff Paul Fitzgerald
Story County, IA

Chief Wayne Jerman
Cedar Rapids, IA

Director of Public Safety Mark Prosser, Retired
Storm Lake, IA

Sheriff Kevin Schneider
Polk County, IA

Chief Mike Tupper
Marshalltown, IA

Chief Craig Kingsbury
Twin Falls, ID

Sheriff John Idleburg
Lake County, IL

Chief Kristen Ziman
Aurora, IL

Chief Michael Diekhoff
Bloomington, IN

Chief Scott Ruszkowski
South Bend, IN

Chief Ron Teachman, Retired
South Bend, IN

Chief Gordon Ramsay
Wichita, KS

Chief Erika Shields
Louisville, KY

Sheriff Peter Koutoujian
Middlesex County, MA

Commissioner Branville G. Bard, Jr.
Cambridge, MA

Chief Brian Kyes
Chelsea, MA

Chief Marcus Jones
Montgomery County, MD

Commissioner Michael S. Harrison
Baltimore, MD

Chief J. Thomas Manger, Retired
Montgomery County, MD

Sheriff Jerry Clayton
Washtenaw County, MI

Chief Ron Haddad
Dearborn, MI

Chief Christopher C. Blue
Chapel Hill, NC

Sheriff Garry McFadden
Mecklenburg County, NC

Sheriff Eli Rivera
Cheshire County, NH

Chief Richard Biehl
Dayton, OH

Public Safety Commissioner Steven Pare
Providence, RI

Chief William Holbrook
Columbia, SC

Sheriff Leon Lott
Richland County, SC

Chief Luther T. Reynolds
Charleston, SC

Chief Fred Fletcher, Retired
Chattanooga, TN

Chief Frank Dixon
Denton, TX

Chief Andy Harvey
Pharr, TX

Sheriff Sally Hernandez
Travis County, TX

Chief Mike Markle
Corpus Christi, TX

Chief Neil Noakes
Fort Worth, TX

Chief Claudio Treviño, Jr.
Laredo, TX

Sheriff Lupe Valdez , Retired
Dallas County, TX

Chief Mike Brown
Salt Lake City, UT

Retired Chief/FBI National Executive Institute Associates (NEIA) President Chris Burbank
Salt Lake City, UT

Captain Sean Casey
Alexandria, VA

Chief Peter Newsham
Prince William County, VA

Sheriff Mitzi Johanknecht
King County, WA

Interim Chief Adrian Diaz
Seattle, WA

Sheriff David J. Mahoney, Retired
Dane County, WI

*Signatures updated as of July 18, at 5 pm ET*

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