The White House will name Chad Wolf as acting secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, according to three sources briefed on the decision. Wolf is a top DHS official currently serving as the department's undersecretary.
The move was first reported by Politico . The White House has declined to comment.
President Trump announced earlier this month that acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan was leaving his post .
As NPR's Franco Ordoñez reported, that set off a wave of jockeying as various factions inside the White House pushed for candidates who support their agendas.
"Wolf is an extremely qualified DHS leader, highly respected, well-versed in the policies and inner workings of the department, its vast mission and issue sets. He remains the best viable option to advance the president's priorities. An all around excellent pick," a senior DHS Official told NPR.
Wolf would seem to be a less controversial choice than others, in that he has not publicly espoused the hard-line views on immigration that the acting head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services Ken Cuccinelli has, for instance.
Wolf has served as former DHS Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen's chief of staff. He was nominated to be under secretary for the DHS office of Strategy, Policy and Plans last February. According to his DHS biography, he's also served as chief of staff for the Transportation Security Administration during the Trump administration.
Wolf would be the fifth person to lead the department since Trump took office.
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