In a statement, US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Rodney Scott thanked Banks for his service “during one of the most challenging periods for border security.”
“During his time as chief, the border was transformed from chaos to the most secure border ever recorded,” said Scott, who heads Border Patrol‘s parent agency.
During Banks’ tenure, the Trump administration surged Border Patrol agents into major US cities, where they used aggressive tactics to round up people suspected of immigration violations and clashed with residents.
Banks maintained a low profile during the contentious city-level operations. Bovino prominently led groups of agents through Democratic-governed cities, including Los Angeles, Chicago and Minneapolis.
In his farewell note to agents, Banks said he would “forever be the greatest defender” of his agency.