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The White House on Friday announced Chad Wolf will be the administration's next acting homeland security secretary.
In a statement, White House deputy press secretary Hogan Gidley said that outgoing Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan will be leaving after Veterans Day, which falls on Nov. 11.
"After he departs, Chad Wolf will serve as acting secretary in the interim," Gidley added.
When asked about if Wolf would be nominated to lead the department on a permanent basis, President Donald Trump said that he has picked "a very good man who's highly respected."
"He's acting right now," Trump said of Wolf at the White House shortly before leaving for a rally in Tupelo, Mississippi. "We'll see where that goes."
Wolf previously served as chief of staff to former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen, who stepped down in April. Nielsen worked as chief of staff to Trump's first secretary for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) John Kelly.
Wolf was nominated in February to be undersecretary for the Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans at the DHS.
However, he is still awaiting Senate confirmation for the position, which he currently fills in an acting capacity.
McAleenan, who became the acting DHS chief following Nielsen's exit, announced in October that he was resigning.
A retired U.S. Marine Corps general, Kelly left the department after Trump tapped him for the White House chief of staff, a position he held for 17 months until an unpleasant departure early this year.
Created in the aftermath of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the DHS has largely focused on federal preparations to deal with terrorism and disasters, managing border security and customs, and enforcing immigration laws.
(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)
