Chris Magnus

Christopher J. Magnus (born October 26, 1960) is an American former law enforcement professional who served as the commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection from 2021 to 2022. He was previously chief of police in Tucson, Arizona; Fargo, North Dakota; and Richmond, California. He is an advocate of community policing and of sanctuary cities and states.

On November 12, 2022, Magnus submitted his resignation to President Joe Biden, who was reported to have requested it days prior. Magnus had initially refused to resign and was threatened with termination if he did not.

Early life and education Magnus was born in Lansing, Michigan. His father was a faculty member at Michigan State University, an immigrant from Norway, and his mother a piano teacher.

Career Lansing, Michigan Magnus began his police career as a dispatcher in the Lansing Police Department, and was also a paramedic.

Richmond, California Magnus became chief of the Richmond, California, Police Department in 2006. 47 in 2007, when by crimes per resident it was the ninth most dangerous city in the country, The reduction in crime and improvement in relations between the police department and the community in Richmond during Magnus' time there, including a substantial reduction in instances of police firing their guns, led the Department of Justice to have him investigate the problems in policing in both Ferguson, Missouri, and Baltimore. )

In late 2006, Magnus, who is white, was sued for racial discrimination by seven high-ranking black members of the department. A three-month trial in 2012 ended with the jury rejecting all claims. In April 2015 an Asian American former police officer sued the city of Richmond for wrongful dismissal, partly on grounds of claimed racial prejudice by Magnus and initially also claiming that Magnus, who is gay, had sexually harassed him. A judge issued a summary judgment in the city's favor on some of the remaining claims in summer 2016, and the rest were dismissed by agreement in February 2017. He described the photograph, which was widely circulated and was disapproved of by many in the department, as happening spontaneously after a participant asked to take a selfie with him when he and his command staff were at the protest talking to people, and had sent out for pizza to feed the crowd. In December 2017 he published a New York Times op-ed arguing that President Donald Trump's and Attorney General Jeff Sessionss policy of firm opposition to local sanctuary city policies would be damaging to policing; in March his department had declined to assist Border Patrol agents pursuing an escaped detainee. He was confirmed by the Senate on a 50–47 vote. He was sworn in on December 13, 2021, becoming the fifth Senate-confirmed CBP commissioner. In October 2022, officials in the Biden administration complained that Magnus was unengaged and unequipped to manage the scope of his agency. They also reported that he repeatedly missed White House meetings, neglected to make relationships with other administration officials, and failed to address the rising number of border crossings. On November 12, 2022, per the request of Secretary of Homeland Security Alejandro Mayorkas, Magnus resigned.

Personal life In 2014, Magnus married his partner of many years, Terrance Cheung, then chief of staff to Tom Butt, the mayor of Richmond; this is thought to be the first time an openly gay police chief in the United States has married.