Chad Wolf sworn in as Acting DHS Secretary, Cucinelli tapped as Deputy

BREAKING: Chad Wolf was sworn in Wednesday as the new acting Homeland Security secretary, and announced that acting U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ken Cuccinelli will serve as his deputy -- a move that is likely to be welcomed by supporters of tougher immigration measures.

Wolf, who previously served as chief of staff to former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, was sworn in hours after the Senate confirmed him as the first under secretary for policy, a role in which he will never serve but a necessary legal hurdle for him to take the top job in a temporary capacity. He replaces Kevin McAleenan, who took over from Nielsen in an acting capacity in April and submitted his resignation last month.

RJ Hauman, head of government relations at the Federation for American Immigration Reform (FAIR), said he was cautiously optimistic about Wolf’s appointment, with that optimism reinforced by the Cuccinelli announcement. “With Chad Wolf’s assistance, DHS has done one hell of a job on the illegal-immigration front over the past few months,” Hauman told Fox News. “However, there is still much to be done when it comes to protecting American workers through the issuance of administrative rules... As new acting head of DHS, Wolf must never reward the business lobby’s intentional disregard of American workers to maximize profits,” Hauman said. “We’ll be engaged and the American people will be watching.”

Democrats, however, criticized Wolf’s appointment from the other direction, accusing him of being behind some of what they called the Trump administration’s most inhumane immigration policies in his previous work in DHS. “By confirming Chad Wolf, the @SenateGOP has rewarded a man who has stood by @realDonaldTrump’s most immoral and anti-American policies: family separation, the Muslim ban, and the unlawful national emergency declaration,” Rep. Veronica Escobar, D-Texas, tweeted. Congressman Bennie Thompson of Mississippi said in a statement: "It seems that President Trump just couldn't fight the urge to play to his base by elevating Ken Cuccinelli to another senior leadership position at DHS that he is wholly unqualified for," Thompson wrote. "Mr. Cuccinelli is nothing more than an anti-immigrant fringe figure and Trump sycophant."

MHC