President-Elect Donald Trump announced on Thursday that former Chief of the United States Border Patrol, Rodney S. Scott, will be his nominee for the post of Customs and Border Protection (CBP) Commissioner. In a post on the incoming president’s social media platform Truth Social, Trump cited Scott’s vast experience in immigration policy and his previous service as the agency head for the United States Border Patrol under the prior Trump administration.
Trump announced his selection of Scott, saying, “Rodney served nearly three decades in the Border Patrol, building vast experience and knowledge in Law Enforcement and Border Security. Rodney served as the 24th Chief of the U.S. Border Patrol, where he implemented Remain-in-Mexico, Title 42, Safe Third Agreements, and achieved record low levels of illegal immigration.”
Scott previously served as the 24th Chief of the United States Border Patrol before retiring in 2021. His career in the border security agency spanned more than 29 years beginning in Imperial Beach, California within the San Diego Border Patrol Sector in 1992. Scott rose through the ranks serving in multiple Border Patrol Sectors and served as the Chief Patrol Agent for the El Centro Sector. Scott was named Chief of the Border Patrol in 2020 and served in that capacity until his retirement.
Scott was instrumental in the development of immigration enforcement policies that drastically led to some of the lowest migrant crossing levels in the agency’s history. Chief Scott’s work was critical to implementing the Migrant Protection Protocols (MPP), also known as “Remain in Mexico,” which allowed CBP and ICE officers to return migrants from a host of different nations to Mexico as their asylum claims moved through the court system. The program was revolutionary and had never been tried before.
In addition, Scott worked to create and implement several novel agreements with the Central American northern triangle countries of El Salvador, Guatemala, and Honduras on Asylum Cooperative Agreements (ACA) that allowed for the return of migrants who feared return to their home country to other nearby participating nations.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Scott also worked with Trump staff members on the Title 42 CDC emergency measure, which allowed immigration officers along the border to conduct speedy returns of border crossers to reduce the spread of infection.
According to CBP, U.S. Customs and Border Protection employs more than 60,000 employees, and is one of the world’s largest law enforcement organizations. The agency is charged with keeping terrorists and their weapons out of the U.S. while facilitating lawful international travel and trade.
Randy Clark is a 32-year veteran of the United States Border Patrol. Prior to his retirement, he served as the Division Chief for Law Enforcement Operations, directing operations for nine Border Patrol Stations within the Del Rio, Texas, Sector. Follow him on X (formerly Twitter) @RandyClarkBBTX.
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