President-elect Donald Trump plans to nominate retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly to lead the Homeland Security Department, CBS News reported Tuesday. Kelly, the former head of the U.S. Southern Command, has accepted the offer. Kelly, 66, will be the third general Trump has tapped for a high-level position in his administration. "Gen. John Kelly's decades of military service and deep commitment to fighting the threat of terrorism inside our borders makes him the ideal choice to serve as our secretary of the Department of Homeland Security," Trump said in a statement. "He is the right person to spearhead the urgent mission of stopping illegal immigration and securing our borders, streamlining TSA and improving coordination between our intelligence and law enforcement agencies." Accepting the appointment, Kelly said that "the American people voted in this election to stop terrorism, take back sovereignty at our borders, and put a stop to political correctness that for too long has dictated our approach to national security. I will tackle those issues with a seriousness of purpose and a deep respect for our laws and Constitution," Kelly said. As head of the U.S. Southern Command, his final leadership post in a 45-year military career, Kelly was responsible for U.S. military activities and relationships in Latin America and the Caribbean. Although Kelly's military experience may give him insight into overseas threats, such as drug trafficking or Islamic extremism, it will do little to prepare him for the legal and political complexities of grappling with a sprawling agency that oversees everything from airport security to protecting against cyber threats and responding to domestic crises. Kelly carved out a reputation as a highly respected but often outspoken commander who could roil debate with blunt assessments or unpopular directives on issues ranging from women in combat to the treatment of detainees at the Guantanamo Bay detention center. But he also holds a more somber distinction. The battle-hardened veteran, who served three tours in Iraq, is the highest-ranking officer to lose a child in combat in Iraq or Afghanistan: Kelly's son, Marine 1st Lt. Robert Kelly, was killed in November 2010 in Afghanistan. That loss makes him a member of what the military calls a Gold Star family. He will be serving in the cabinet of a president who as a candidate verbally attacked a Gold Star family: the Khans, Muslim-American immigrants who lost a son in Iraq and had criticized Trump at the Democratic National Convention. If confirmed by the Senate, Kelly will take over the nation's newest federal agency. The department was formed after the Sept. 11 terror attacks to position the U.S. government better to prevent and respond to incidents. He would be the fifth head of the department, which includes agencies that protect the president, respond to disasters, enforce immigration laws, protect the nation's coastlines, and secure air travel. Kelly's selection bolsters concerns about an increase in military influence in the Trump White House, and comes as Trump moves forward on his signature issue to build a wall along the southern border and go after people living in the country illegally. In Kelly, Trump has another four-star military officer for his administration. James Mattis, a retired four-star Marine general, is Trump's pick for defense secretary. Democratic leader Nancy Pelosi said she hopes "that Gen. Kelly is willing to stand up for facts, families and the Constitution." "America will not be made great by dragging parents away from their children, by squandering billions of dollars on a wall that does little to secure the border, or by rejecting freedom of religion and echoing the darkest chapters of persecution," she said.
