Kevin McAleenan facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kevin McAleenan
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| Acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security | |
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De facto
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| In office April 11, 2019 – November 13, 2019 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | David Pekoske (acting) |
| Preceded by | Kirstjen Nielsen |
| Succeeded by | Chad Wolf (acting) |
| Commissioner of United States Customs and Border Protection | |
| In office March 20, 2018 – April 11, 2019 Acting: January 20, 2017 – March 20, 2018 |
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| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Randolph Alles (acting) Ron Vitiello Robert Perez (acting) |
| Preceded by | Gil Kerlikowske |
| Succeeded by | Chris Magnus |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Kevin Kealoha McAleenan
September 5, 1971 Honolulu, Hawaii, U.S. |
| Education | Amherst College (BA) University of Chicago Law School (JD) |
| Awards | Service to America Award (2005) Presidential Rank Award (2015) |
Kevin Kealoha McAleenan (born September 5, 1971) is an American lawyer and government official. He served as the acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security from April to November 2019.
Before that, McAleenan was the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commissioner from March 2018 to May 2019. During his time at CBP, he worked on policies for managing people crossing the U.S. border. President Donald Trump chose him to be the Acting Secretary of Homeland Security in April 2019. He left this role on October 11, 2019.
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Early Life and Education
Kevin McAleenan was born on September 5, 1971. His birthplace was Honolulu, Hawaii. His mother had Finnish family roots, and his father had Irish family roots.
He attended Amherst College and earned a degree there. Later, he studied law at the University of Chicago Law School. After finishing law school, he worked as a lawyer in California.
Starting His Career in Government
McAleenan worked as a lawyer in private companies from 1998 to 2001. After the September 11 attacks in 2001, he decided to work for the government. He applied to the FBI.
He was asked to help create a new part of the CBP called the Office of Antiterrorism. He later became its executive director.
In 2006, he became the area director for CBP at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). He was in charge of security at LAX and 17 other airports. After working as a private consultant for two years, McAleenan returned to CBP in 2010. He led the field operations team.
In 2011, McAleenan became the assistant commissioner for CBP's Office of Field Operations. In this job, he oversaw airport operations. He was responsible for keeping the U.S. border safe. He also made sure that legal trade and travel happened smoothly at 329 entry points in the U.S. and 70 locations in over 40 other countries.
From 2014 to 2017, McAleenan served as the deputy commissioner of Customs and Border Protection.
Leading U.S. Customs and Border Protection
Becoming Commissioner
From January 2017 to March 20, 2018, McAleenan was the acting commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection.
President Donald Trump officially nominated him for the permanent commissioner role in May 2017. Many officials from both the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations supported his nomination. They wrote a letter to Congress saying he was "supremely qualified." The Senate confirmed his nomination on March 19, 2018, with a vote of 77 to 19. He was sworn in the next day, on March 20, 2018.
His Time as Commissioner
As commissioner, McAleenan supported policies related to how people crossing the border were processed. He worked on how families were handled at the border. He believed these policies were important for managing border security.
In August 2018, he spoke to The New York Times. He said he knew there were rules about how long families could be held. He also said that the CBP's job is to follow the law. He supported U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, saying they do "critical work."
In September 2018, McAleenan told the USA Today editorial board that he planned to improve border facilities. He also intended to visit the southwest United States, where many people crossing the border were staying.
On June 11, 2019, McAleenan spoke to the United States Senate Committee on the Judiciary. He discussed the policies for managing border crossings. A report from the Department of Homeland Security Office of Inspector General in July 2019 looked into conditions at some border facilities.
Acting U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security
President Trump appointed McAleenan as Acting United States Secretary of Homeland Security on April 8, 2019. This happened after Kirstjen Nielsen resigned from the position.
McAleenan resigned from this role on October 11, 2019. President Trump announced his departure on Twitter. He said McAleenan wanted to "spend more time with his family and go to the private sector." News reports said that White House officials tried to convince him to stay. However, McAleenan felt he had done all he could as acting secretary.
Trump announced that he would name McAleenan's replacement the following week. His successor, Chad Wolf, took office on November 13, 2019.
Later, on August 14, 2020, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) made a finding. The GAO said that McAleenan's appointment as Acting Secretary was not done correctly. They stated that the Director of the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA), Christopher C. Krebs, should have taken the role instead. This finding also meant that McAleenan's successor, Chad Wolf, and his deputy, Ken Cuccinelli, did not properly get their positions.
Awards and Recognition
Kevin McAleenan has received several awards for his public service:
- In 2005, he received the Service to America Medal. This award recognized his leadership in creating a plan for border security after September 11, 2001.
- In 2015, he was given the Presidential Rank Award. This is the highest award a civil servant can receive in the United States.
See also
In Spanish: Kevin McAleenan para niños
- List of Trump administration dismissals and resignations
