The White House has fired John Mitnick, who served as the general counsel for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS).
A spokesperson for the department confirmed Mitnick’s exit to The Hill, saying: “We thank John for this service, and we wish him well.”
Joseph Maher, who serves as the principal deputy general counsel at DHS, will fill the position in Mitnick’s place, the spokesman said.
{mosads}Mitnick, who was nominated to the post by President Trump in 2017 and confirmed by the Senate the following year, was the department’s fifth general counsel.
His reported firing comes as DHS has continued to see a series of top aides and officials leave the agency amid tensions with the White House over its handling of immigration policy in recent months.
The news comes months after former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen resigned from her post following speculation that her position was in jeopardy as the president grew frustrated over the situation at the border.
In the months following her exit, other top staffers, including Andrew Meehan, who served as top aide to acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan, resigned from the department as tensions between it and the White House escalated.
—Updated at 4:38 p.m.