On Tuesday, John Mitnick, the general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security, was fired by the White House. Mitnick was actually the fifth general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security. After Mitnick was let go, there were a series of contradictory statements that were separately released from a Trump Administration official and a Department of Homeland Security official. The former claimed that Chad Mizelle, an associate counsel for the President, would replace Mitnick; however, the latter claimed that Joseph B. Maher, the department's principal deputy general, would assume the vacated position. The actual reason for firing Mitnick has not explicitly been stated yet by government officials; however, we can infer that the continual change of leadership in the department is a direct effect of the Trump administration's continual pressure on them to new immigration policies that would make it much more difficult for migrants from Central America to obtain asylum. This is definitely not the first time a high-level official of this department has been fired and then subsequently replaced. Previously, Kirstjen Nielsen, formerly the Homeland Security Secretary and the acting deputy secretary, Claire Grady were removed by the White House as well. Overall, the instability of leadership within the Department of Homeland Security will play a large role in how immigration policies will be enforced in the future.
Questions:
1. What is your opinion of another firing of a high-level official in the Department of Homeland Security?
2. How do you believe this event will affect how the Department of Homeland Security will enforce Trump's new immigration policies?
3. Do you believe that the White House will continue to oust officials in Homeland Security if they do not agree with Trump's new immigration policies?
My last comment on another article about Bolton's firing talked about the series of firings and how this isn't healthy for the government nor does it reflect good democracy. The fact that the government has allowed this many firings in government is absurd. For Trump to get his way, he just fires them and replaces them with someone who agrees and will pass his ideas. The system of checks and balances isn't working here. To answer your third question, I do infact believe officials will continue to get fired if they disagree with Trump especially regarding his immigration policies. I don't think it will get any better anytime soon, so let's just hope this isn't the case after his term ends
ReplyDeleteI think the consistent firing of government officials has negatively impacted the government's ability to function as smoothly as before. The constant change of officials leads to the constant need for adjustment in the different viewpoints and opinions. In regards to the second question, I think with the pressure Trump is putting on the Department of Homeland Security, either they will end up enforcing the immigration policies Trump wants, or will continuously reject the proposal which will lead to the hiring of a new official. I do not think the White House will continue to oust officials as the continuous cycle will only prove to hold the government back rather than push them forward to enforcing other laws.
ReplyDeleteIn regards to the first question, I find this instability within the Department of Homeland Security to be quite troubling. In a time of such political divide, it is not reassuring to see that the current administration in power is struggling to find someone to head this department. Immigration is such a hot topic in the country right now and with our president’s views on the issue, finding someone to agree with the position and have the authority to act on it will be difficult. I think this situation is also a testimony to the current state of the administration's reign on the country’s politics. If everyone is being fired for not filling the position properly, it would lead one to assume that the opinion is not widely accepted. The fact that the administration is not acting on this notion makes me believe that they do not share a common belief with the rest of the nation. With election season coming up, I think it will be interesting to see how other presidential candidates will address this issue and comment on the current administration’s grasp of the problem.
ReplyDeleteThe consistency of firings during the period of this presidential term is concerning. As I mentioned in my last comment, it is immature and unprofessional for Trump/the government to fire someone because there is a disagreement. These firings are ultimately going to negatively impact the government to be able to work well as a democratic system. With the consistent firings of officials, I think this will continue, and the news will continue to be less surprising each time. Unless the Department of Homeland Security gives in and begin enforcing Trump’s policies, I believe that this cycle of firing officials will just continue. Along with Trump’s conservative values, it will also be difficult to find a common ground due to Trump’s close-mindedness. It would be much more professional for Trump to negotiate with people he disagrees with.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Sarah in that Trump's continuous firings of officials will interfere with the flow of the government and have negative impacts. Since this is already his fifth time firing an official, I doubt he will stop until he is able to find a person who aligns with his beliefs. As with job or task, doing well in it comes naturally with time and experience, and consequently, the lack of those would result in inadequacy. Trump's refusal to compromise jeopardizes the quality of his officials, and I believe that this is unprofessional and should have another solution rather than simply firing whoever displeases him.
ReplyDeleteThis firing of another high-level official illustrates the continuing dysfunction within the Department of Homeland Security and the White House itself. President Trump has made it abundantly clear that he will stop at nothing to set up puppets in most if not all of the federal offices. Trump is of course especially interested in the Department of Homeland Security because his policies on migrants will be integral to his eventual 2020 campaign similar to how his rhetoric on immigration was an important part of his 2016 campaign. According to the National Review article “What’s Next for the GOP on Immigration?,” Trump’s time to pass major immigration reform came in early 2018, when Senate Democrats were on the defensive, but the president’s unwillingness to compromise might have blown a golden opportunity for the GOP. This firing is just another occurrence of Trump’s close-mindedness, so the question becomes whether Trump’s voter base can reconcile with the fact that so many of Trump’s immigration goals have been left unfinished.
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