(Credit:  tusconaz.gov)  /    If confirmed, Tuscon Police Chief Chris Magnus would be the first openly gay commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection agency

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President Joe Biden on Monday announced his intent to nominate Chris Magnus as commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection — tapping a police chief from Tucson, Ariz.  Magnus is also “an openly gay” Police Chief.  Magnus moved on to the Tucson, Arizona police chief job in 2016, but in his time here, he gained marginal fame for holding a “Black Lives Matter” sign at a rally in the wake of the 2014 Ferguson unrest.  Magnus is also known for not cooperating with federal immigration authorities during the controversial “sanctuary city” issue.  

Richmond, Calif., Police Chief Chris Magnus gained nationwide attention recently for holding a “BlackLivesMatter” protest sign December  2014. (Twitter) 

“His lengthy career in public safety includes coming up through the ranks of the Lansing, Michigan Police Department, and serving as police chief in the cities of Fargo, North Dakota, Richmond, California, and Tucson, Arizona.  In each of these cities Magnus developed a reputation as a progressive police leader who focused on relationship-building between the police and community, implementing evidence-based best practices, promoting reform, and insisting on police accountability,”  the White House said in a statement announcing his nomination. 

Because of Tucson’s proximity to the border, he has extensive experience in addressing immigration issues, the White House said.  Magnus grew up in Lansing, Michigan, the son of an immigrant from Oslo, Norway.