Who Is Mike Banks, The Texas Border Czar Set To Be The Next CBP Chief

The incoming Trump administration is set to appoint Mike Banks, a retired Border Patrol agent and Texas Governor Greg Abbott's "border czar," as the new head of the U.S. Border Patrol. Banks will replace Jason Owens, a 28-year veteran of the agency, who announced his retirement effective in April.

The move, first reported by the New York Post, marks a departure from the tradition of appointing career government officials to lead the agency. Banks, who currently advises Abbott on border matters, played a key role in Texas' Operation Lone Star, an initiative aimed at countering record levels of migrant crossings. The operation has included deploying National Guard troops, installing razor wire, and bussing thousands of migrants to Democratic-led cities.

Texas has transported tens of thousands of migrants to major Democratic-led U.S. cities since March 2021, deployed the National Guard to reinforce the Rio Grande's banks with razor wire, and assigned troopers to detain migrants on criminal trespassing charges. The state also attempted to pass its own immigration law to detain and prosecute migrants suspected of entering the country illegally, but the measure remains stalled in court.

As head of the Border Patrol, Banks will seek to replicate his Texas experience nationally. His task will be to oversee efforts to apprehend immigrants who enter the U.S. without authorization, including those crossing the southern border and reaching coastal sectors like Florida. His appointment meets Trump's plans to expand immigration enforcement, including what Trump has described as the largest deportation operation in U.S. history.

In addition to Banks, Trump is expected to name Rodney Scott as Customs and Border Protection (CBP) commissioner. Scott previously served as Border Patrol chief under Trump before being replaced by the Biden administration. Together, Banks and Scott are expected to lead an intensified crackdown on illegal immigration.

Tom Homan, a former Immigration and Customs Enforcement official, is also expected to join Trump's team as a White House border czar, further consolidating efforts to enforce stricter immigration policies.

While the Biden administration has reported a decline in illegal border crossings following the implementation of new asylum limits, Trump's team argues that more aggressive measures are necessary to secure the border and address longstanding enforcement challenges.

U.S. Senator John Cornyn, a Texas Republican, praised Trump's decision, calling Banks "a great choice." "Nobody understands the border better than Texans," Cornyn told reporters in Washington, adding that Texas' extensive border experience makes Banks uniquely qualified for the role.

In an internal message to agents, current Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens called his tenure "the highest honor I have ever received" and expressed optimism for the agency's future, as reported by CBS News.