John Kelly is a retired four-star Marine general who served as President Donald Trump’s administration’s White House Chief of Staff John Kelly from July 2017 to December 2018. He also served as the commander of U.S. Southern Command and as clerk of Homeland Security in the Trump administration. President Trump blazoned on December 8, 2018, that Kelly would leave his position as chief of staff John Kelly at the end of the time, thanking him for his service. The Senate verified Kelly as clerk of Homeland Security by a vote of 88- 11 on January 20, 2017.
Chief of Staff John Kelly Career
Early life
After a brief assignment at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina, Kelly was promoted to brigadier general and stationed in Iraq. He returned to the U.S. in 2004 to serve as a legislative adjunct to the commander in Washington, D.C., until 2007. Shortly later, he was promoted again to major general and transferred to Camp Pendleton before being redeployed to Iraq in 2008. As an assistant general, Chief of Staff John Kelly assumed command of the Marine Forces Reserve and Marine Forces North in 2009. From 2011 to 2012, he served as the elderly military adjunct to the clerk of defense before joining the Department of Defense’s United States Southern Command in 2012.
Retirement
How secure is Border policy and security discussed by Chief of Staff John Kelly?
During an interview with NBC’s Chuck Todd on April 16, 2017, John Kelly discussed the importance of securing the border, highlighting a significant decrease in illegal border crossings. He emphasized the need to address this issue as a priority, stating, “Chuck, you really do have to secure the border somehow, first and foremost. The very, very, very good news is, for a lot of different reasons, the number of illegal aliens that are moving up from the south has dropped precipitously. I mean we’re down 65%, 70% in the last two months. These are the months when we typically see a sharp increase in illegal movement. However, it has decreased by almost 70%,” Kelly stated.
When asked about the impact of President Trump’s rhetoric on border security, Kelly acknowledged its role, saying, “Well, certainly. … Absolutely. We’ve taken several actions on the border, including my visits there on multiple occasions. Attorney General Jeff Sessions also recently visited. The increased attention to the border has definitely made an impact on the people there, the majority of whom are good individuals from Central America. However, this attention has also caused some confusion among them, and they’re now waiting to see what unfolds,” Chief of Staff John Kellyexplained.
In a November 2016 interview, Kelly discussed border security and Trump’s proposed Mexican border wall, emphasizing the importance of protecting borders while acknowledging the root causes of migration, such as violence and lack of economic opportunity in migrants’ home countries. He stated that controlling borders, whether through walls or fences, is a right of every country.
In March 2017, John Kelly, then Secretary of Homeland Security, highlighted a significant drop in illegal border crossings, reporting a 40% decrease from January to February that year. This decline was attributed to the Trump administration’s implementation of Executive Orders to enforce immigration laws. Kelly noted that this shift was particularly noteworthy as there is typically a 10-20% increase in apprehensions from January to February.
Kelly’s statements reflect his commitment to border security and immigration enforcement, highlighting the complexities of the issue and the need for comprehensive solutions.
During his testimony before the Senate Armed Services Committee in March 2015, Chief of Staff John Kelly emphasized a significant security threat posed by criminal organizations adapting their methods for trafficking across borders. He highlighted the potential for these networks, while not currently aligned with terrorist groups, to facilitate the movement of terrorist operatives or weapons of mass destruction toward the U.S. borders.
The Executive 0rder from John Kelly temporarily suspended immigration from six countries
John Kelly, the Homeland Security Secretary at the time, voiced his support for President Trump’s revised executive order on March 6, 2017. Kelly believed the order would improve national security and address long-standing concerns about the immigration system. He emphasized the need for a thorough review of visa and refugee vetting programs to ensure the safety of Americans. Kelly made it clear that the executive order applied only to foreign nationals without valid visas outside the United States and did not impact current lawful residents or authorized travelers. He underscored the importance of regulated and vetted travel, especially concerning national security.
Drug trade restriction
speech on April 18, 2017, at the Center for Cyber and Homeland Security at George Washington University, Chief of Staff John Kelly discussed the significant role played by transnational criminal organizations in smuggling drugs into the United States. He highlighted the devastating impact of drug overdose deaths, stating that in 2015 alone, there were 52,404 such deaths in the U.S. This number exceeded the peak of the AIDS epidemic in 1995 and nearly matched the number of American lives lost in World War I and over 12 years of the Vietnam War.
During his speech, he emphasized the urgent need for a national strategy to reduce drug demand in the United States. He called for a comprehensive effort involving not just government agencies like the FBI and DEA, but also Hollywood, professional sports figures, high school coaches, Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, community activists, and religious leaders such as priests, pastors, rabbis, and imams. He stressed the importance of involving parents, highlighting that drug prevention starts at home.
To address this issue, the President signed an Executive Order establishing the President’s Commission on Combating Drug Addiction and the Opioid Crisis. This comprehensive approach aims to significantly reduce drug demand, leading to a more secure border.
During a speech on April 18, 2017, John Kelly, then Secretary of Homeland Security, emphasized the department’s position on marijuana. He described it as a potentially dangerous gateway drug that often leads to the use of harder substances. JOHN Kelly also highlighted the scientific evidence indicating that marijuana can be psychologically addictive and can have a significant negative impact on the developing brains of teenagers and young adults.
He emphasized that, under current federal law, the use and possession of marijuana are illegal. Until Congress changes these laws, DHS is committed to enforcing them. This includes investigating illegal pathways of marijuana into the U.S., its distribution within the country, and arresting individuals involved in the drug trade.
Customs and Border Protection (CBP) will continue its efforts to detect marijuana at sea, air, and land ports of entry, and will take necessary action upon discovery. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) will also act accordingly when marijuana is discovered at aviation checkpoints and during baggage screening.
Furthermore, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) will use marijuana possession, distribution, and convictions as part of their deportation and removal operations against illegal immigrants. This approach has been implemented in the past, continues today, and will persist in the future.
During an interview with Chuck Todd on NBC’s Meet the Press on April 16, 2017, Chief of Staff John Kelly was asked about the impact of legalizing marijuana on the drug war. He said marijuana is not a factor in the drug war.” He said that other drugs were more problematic. He said, “It’s three things. Methamphetamine.
Almost all are produced in Mexico. Heroin. Virtually all are produced in Mexico. cocaine that comes up from further south. Those three drugs resulted in the death of I think in ’15, I think, 52,000 people including opiates. It’s a massive problem. 52,000 Americans dead. You can’t put a price on human misery. The cost to the United States exceeds $250 billion annually. The solution doesn’t lie in arresting many users. Instead, it requires a comprehensive drug demand reduction program involving every person committed to good.
What was Chief of Staff John Kelly’s stance on Immigration Law?
During an interview with CNN’s Dana Bash on April 23, 2017, then serving as secretary of Homeland Security under President Trump, addressed the issue of DACA recipients, also known as Dreamers. When asked about their status and the possibility of deportation, Chief of Staff John Kelly stated that while they are technically subject to deportation according to the law, his focus was on targeting more serious criminals, not Dreamers.
In another interview on April 16, 2017, Chief of Staff John Kelly emphasized the complexity of the immigration issue and called on Congress to address it. He acknowledged that the law regarding illegal immigration is clear but noted the complexity of dealing with the millions of individuals, including those who came to the U.S. as children or have established families here. Kelly stressed that while the law is the law, he had limitations in executing it.
These statements reflect Kelly’s nuanced approach to immigration enforcement, prioritizing national security and targeting serious criminals while recognizing the complexities of the immigration system.