“The American travel community welcomes the announcement of Chad Wolf as the next acting director of the Department of Homeland Security. As a dedicated public servant who has literally been with the department since the beginning, Mr. Wolf has a special understanding of its workings and purpose—most especially, what it takes to effectively evolve a policy to meet the constantly shifting challenges on the security landscape.”
This is a statement released today by U.S. Travel Association President and CEO Roger Dow issued the following statement:
“As DHS moves ahead with innovations that will make travel simultaneously more seamless and more secure—such as the implementation of biometric technology at both the Transportation Security Administration and Customs and Border Protection—we have every confidence that Mr. Wolf will bring the capable leadership that will make these efforts a success.
“We add our thanks to Kevin McAleenan, whose long and distinguished public service did so much to make this country safe, and who has been a terrific collaborator on travel-related issues in his time leading DHS and throughout his career.”
Wolf previously served as chief of staff to former Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. He was nominated by Trump in February to serve as undersecretary for the Office of Strategy, Policy, and Plans at DHS, a role he currently fills in an acting capacity. He is still awaiting Senate confirmation for the position.
During his Senate confirmation hearing for the undersecretary role, Wolf faced questions over his role in the administration’s zero-tolerance policy that led to thousands of children being separated from their parents at the border.
When asked if he had concerns about the policy at the time, Wolf said, “My job wasn’t to determine whether it was the right or wrong policy. My job, at the time, was to ensure that the secretary had all the information.”
