White House chief of staff tried to pressure DHS secretary to expel Hondurans
John Kelly
Washington (CNN) White House chief of staff  John Kelly  pressured acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke to terminate protections for tens of thousands of Honduran immigrants currently living in the US  sources tell CNN.
Duke received multiple calls from  Kelly  pressuring her  in Duke's perception  to end Temporary Protected Status for Honduran immigrants on Monday's decision day  leaving Duke "distraught and disappointed" and ready to leave the department  according to a source familiar with Duke's thinking.
The Trump administration characterized the call as  Kelly  weighing in through a normal process and said Duke was committed to remaining at her post.
According to the source familiar with Duke's thinking   Kelly  and the administration wanted Homeland Security secretary nominee Kirstjen Nielsen to avoid questions about the issue at  her  Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday   and wanted to  her  confirmed quickly enough that  she  would be the one to make a decision on temporary protected status for Haitians  which is due at the end of the month and which will likely be ended.
According to the source familiar  Duke had decided over the weekend that  she  did not have enough information to end the protections for the Hondurans  which is what the department announced late Monday evening.
"I think  she 's very distraught and disappointed at Kelly and the whole apparatus " the source said. " She 's out there alone  you know? It's like  'Why do I keep doing this if you guys are just going to beat me up?'"
The source confirmed that  she  made reference to resigning during the back-and-forth and is inclined to leave the job.
A separate Trump administration official confirmed  Kelly  discussed the TPS issue with Duke on Monday and that he made it clear to  her  that the final decision was Duke's to make. "There was a call that focused on the chief encouraging  her  to make a decision " the official said. "What he was saying is that the decision should not be a temporary decision."
Washington (CNN) White House chief of staff  [TGT]pressured acting Homeland Security Secretary Elaine Duke to terminate protections for tens of thousands of Honduran immigrants currently living in the US  sources tell CNN.
Duke received multiple calls from  [TGT]pressuring [TGT]  in Duke's perception  to end Temporary Protected Status for Honduran immigrants on Monday's decision day  leaving Duke "distraught and disappointed" and ready to leave the department  according to a source familiar with Duke's thinking.
The Trump administration characterized the call as  [TGT]weighing in through a normal process and said Duke was committed to remaining at [TGT] post.
According to the source familiar with Duke's thinking   [TGT]and the administration wanted Homeland Security secretary nominee Kirstjen Nielsen to avoid questions about the issue at  her  Senate confirmation hearing on Wednesday   and wanted to  her  confirmed quickly enough that  she  would be the one to make a decision on temporary protected status for Haitians  which is due at the end of the month and which will likely be ended.
According to the source familiar  Duke had decided over the weekend that  she  did not have enough information to end the protections for the Hondurans  which is what the department announced late Monday evening.
"I think  she 's very distraught and disappointed at [TGT] and the whole apparatus " the source said. " She 's out there alone  you know? It's like  'Why do I keep doing this if you guys are just going to beat me up?'"
The source confirmed that  she  made reference to resigning during the back-and-forth and is inclined to leave the job.
A separate Trump administration official confirmed  [TGT]discussed the TPS issue with Duke on Monday and that he made it clear to  her  that the final decision was Duke's to make. "There was a call that focused on the chief encouraging  her  to make a decision " the official said. "What he was saying is that the decision should not be a temporary decision."