A top adviser to President Biden on migration issues is departing the White House next week after three years on the job.
Katie Tobin, the senior director for transborder issues at the National Security Council, will leave the administration as Biden comes under fire for his handling of the southern border and as lawmakers on Capitol Hill struggle to reach a deal on immigration.
John Kirby, a White House spokesperson on foreign policy issues, said Tobin was central to organizing the administration’s democracy summits with other nations, as well as the Los Angeles Declaration signed in 2022 that created a framework for Western Hemisphere leaders to manage migration flows.
“We’re all going to miss her. She’s a great professional and has been a true public servant in that regard,” Kirby said, adding that Tobin will return to Chicago to spend more time with her family.
NBC first reported on Tobin’s impending exit.
Tobin’s departure comes as the White House is engaged in a standoff with Texas over the handling of the southern border. Texas Gov. Greg Abbott (R) erected razor wire and fences along the border, which prevented Border Patrol agents from accessing certain areas.
At the same time, lawmakers in the Senate have for weeks been working on a legislative deal to address the surge of migrants at the southern border. Biden has said he’s willing to make significant compromises on border policy to secure an agreement on that issue and on funding for Ukraine.
But House Republicans have said they will not compromise, and former President Trump has pressured GOP lawmakers not to accept any deal as he uses immigration to attack Biden on the campaign trail.