Kirstjen Nielsen
Kirstjen Nielsen | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 6th United States Secretary of Homeland Security | |
| In office December 6, 2017 – April 10, 2019 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Elaine Duke Claire Grady (Acting) |
| Preceded by | John F. Kelly |
| Succeeded by | Alejandro Mayorkas Kevin McAleenan (Acting; de facto) |
| White House Deputy Chief of Staff | |
| In office September 6, 2017 – December 6, 2017 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Katie Walsh |
| Succeeded by | Vacant |
| Chief of Staff to the United States Secretary of Homeland Security | |
| In office January 20, 2017 – July 31, 2017 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Paul Rosen |
| Succeeded by | Chad Wolf (Acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Kirstjen Michele Nielsen May 14, 1972 Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States |
| Political party | Independent |
| Education | Georgetown University (BS) University of Virginia (JD) |
Kirstjen Michele Nielsen (born May 14, 1972)[1] is an American government official and national security expert. Nielsen was the 6th United States Secretary of Homeland Security from December 6, 2017 to April 10, 2019. Before, she served as Principal Deputy White House Chief of Staff to President Donald Trump from September 6, 2017 to December 5, 2017. She has informally performed the role of Deputy Chief of Staff since John F. Kelly became White House Chief of Staff on July 31, 2017.
Nielsen is the founder and former President of Sunesis Consulting.[2]
On October 11, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Nielsen to be the new United States Secretary of Homeland Security.[3][4] On December 5, 2017, the Senate confirmed her nomination, by a 62-37 vote.[5] She resigned on April 7, 2019.
Early life
[change | change source]Nielsen was born on May 14, 1972 in Colorado Springs, Colorado. She was raised in Clearwater, Florida. She graduated from the Georgetown School of Foreign Service and earned a J.D. degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1999.[6] Nielsen's mother is an italian descent while her father is a Danish ancestry.[7]
Early career
[change | change source]Nielsen served during the President George W. Bush administration as special assistant to the president and act as the senior director for prevention, preparedness and response at the White House Homeland Security Council. She also ran the Transportation Security Administration's offices of legislative policy and government affairs, a section she started.
White House career
[change | change source]Nielsen previously served as John F. Kelly's Chief of Staff at the Department of Homeland Security. She has informally performed the role of Deputy Chief of Staff since Kelly became White House Chief of Staff on July 31, 2017.
United States Secretary of Homeland Security (2017 – 2019)
[change | change source]On October 11, 2017, President Donald Trump nominated Nielsen to be the new United States Secretary of Homeland Security, replacing John F. Kelly.[3][4] On December 5, 2017, the Senate confirmed her nomination, by a 62-37 vote.[5]
Nielsen created the practice of separating parents and children accused of crossing over the U.S.–Mexico border illegally.[8][9] Nielsen resigned on April 7, 2019, and Kevin McAleenan, the then U.S. Customs and Border Protection Commissioner, became Acting Secretary.[10]
In a piece summarizing Nielsen's tenure at DHS, Vox's Dara Lind wrote that Nielsen had been "arguably the most aggressive secretary in the department's short history".[11]
References
[change | change source]- ↑ "FamilySearch.org".
- ↑ Kutner, Max (11 October 2017). "Who is Kirstjen Nielsen, Trump's reported pick for Secretary of Homeland Security?". Newsweek.com. Newsweek. Retrieved 11 October 2017.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 "Trump expected to nominate Nielsen as Homeland Security secretary: official". Reuters. 2017-10-11. Retrieved 2017-10-11.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 "Trump expected to name Kelly's White House deputy as DHS secretary". POLITICO. Retrieved 2017-10-11.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Washington Post Staff (December 5, 2017). "Senate confirms Kirstjen Nielsen to head Department of Homeland Security, installing a close ally of John F. Kelly". Washington Post. ISSN 0190-8286. Retrieved December 5, 2017.
- ↑ "Kirstjen Nielsen '99 Tapped for Top Post at Homeland Security". October 11, 2017.
- ↑ "'That's Not the Kirstjen We Know'". Politico.
- ↑ "Trump Defiant as Crisis Grows Over Family Separation at the Border". The Washington Post. June 18, 2018. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ↑ "Was the 'Law to Separate Families' past in 1997 or 'by Democrats?'". Snopes Fact Check. Retrieved April 7, 2019.
- ↑ "DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigns after clashes with Trump on immigration". CBS News. April 7, 2019. Retrieved April 8, 2019.
- ↑ Lind, Dara (2019-04-07). "Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen's resignation, explained". Vox. Retrieved 2019-04-14.
Other websites
[change | change source]
Media related to Kirstjen Nielsen at Wikimedia Commons
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