Rodney S. Scott
Rodney Scott | |
|---|---|
 | |
| 6th Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection | |
| Assumed office June 18, 2025 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Preceded by | Chris Magnus |
| 24th Chief of United States Border Patrol | |
| In office February 2, 2020 – August 14, 2021 | |
| President | Donald Trump Joe Biden |
| Preceded by | Carla Provost |
| Succeeded by | Raúl Ortiz |
| Signature | .jpg?lang=en){kind=small} |
| Website | https://www.bpchiefscott.com/ |
Rodney S. Scott served as the 24th chief of the United States Border Patrol from February 2, 2020, to August 14, 2021, in both the Trump and Biden administrations. He was later nominated to serve as Commissioner of the U.S. Customs and Border Protection in the second Trump administration.
Career
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Scott joined the U.S. Border Patrol on May 11, 1992, as a member of Academy Class 252. He served in a few leadership positions within the Border Patrol and U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), including chief patrol agent at El Centro Sector in Imperial, California; deputy chief patrol agent San Diego Sector; patrol agent in charge at the Brown Field Station in San Diego, California; assistant chief in CBP's Office of Anti-Terrorism in Washington, D.C.; and division chief and director for the Incident Management and Operations Coordination Division at CBP Headquarters.[1]
As Chief, Scott supported President Trump's border wall, and although holding a career service position, he became political in his critique of Democrats who favored other ways of addressing illegal aliens.[2] Scott refused to support President Biden's directive to stop using legal words like "illegal alien" in favor of descriptors like "migrant".[3] In June 2021, Scott released a statement saying he had been "given the option to resign, retire or relocate with no rationale provided...so the new administration can place the person they want in the position".[2] Deputy Chief Raul Ortiz will serve as interim chief.[3]
Controversies
[edit]Alleged cover-up of the 2010 death of Anastasio Hernández Rojas
[edit]Former CBP deputy assistant commissioner James Wong testified that, while Scott was San Diego Sector chief, he “supervised” a Critical Incident Team’s handling of Hernández Rojas’s beating and tasing by Border Patrol agents. Scott allegedly used an administrative subpoena to obtain medical records during an active criminal probe, delayed notifications to local authorities, mishandled evidence, and allowed key video footage to be erased. Although the Justice Department declined to press charges, a wrongful-death suit was settled for $1 million in 2017. Senator Ron Wyden has since subpoenaed DHS records to examine Scott’s role.[4][5]
In April 2025, a San Diego law firm formally petitioned the U.S. Attorney General, FBI Director, and DHS Inspector General to probe Scott for potential violations of the Ethics in Government Act (18 U.S.C. § 207) relating to his post–Border Patrol employment activities and use of official subpoena power during the 2010 Hernández Rojas case.[6]
In investigation by the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights found the CBP agents to be guilty of violating Hernández Rojas’s rights, using unneccesary force, and serious flaws in internal investigations.[7][8][9]
Rape threat tweet
[edit]In September 2024, Scott sent a tweet to former senior Border Patrol agent and whistleblower in Hernández Rojas case Jenn Budd that a San Diego Superior Court judge described as a “classic" rape threat. During his April 2025 confirmation hearing, Scott apologized, calling it a “weak moment” and insisting he meant to challenge her “creative imagination” about her allegations—an explanation that stunned senators and watchdogs.[10]
Controversial Facebook group
[edit]Reports surfaced in June 2025 that Scott was part of a closed Border Patrol Facebook group where agents posted racist and sexist memes and comments. He has publicly distanced himself from those posts, saying he never contributed such content.[5]
Personal life
[edit]Scott is married and has two daughters. Scott was born in Indiana and raised in Nogales, Arizona.[11] He also lived in Coronado, California from 1994 to 1997, before moving to Arizona and Washington, D.C. for job assignments. In 2008, Scott and his family moved back to Coronado.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ Singman, Brooke (January 24, 2020). "Border Patrol Veteran Rodney Scott Tapped to Lead Agency". Fox News.
- ^ a b Meyer, Josh (June 23, 2021). "Border Patrol chief Rodney Scott ousted, paving the way for Biden to install new leadership". USA Today.
- ^ a b Spagat, Elliot (June 24, 2021). "Border Patrol chief forced out of position". Northwest Arkansas Democrat Gazette.
- ^ "Senator probes CBP nominee's alleged interference in migrant death investigation". The Washington Post. 2025-04-23. Archived from the original on 2025-05-08. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ^ a b Stein, Chris (2025-06-18). "Rodney Scott confirmed as head of CBP by US Senate despite 'cover-up' claim". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ^ "Former Border Patrol chief faces scrutiny ahead of confirmation hearing to lead CBP". cbs8.com. 2025-04-28. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ^ "REPORT No. 60/25 CASE 14.042 MERITS REPORT (PUBLICATION) ANASTASIO HERNÁNDEZ ROJAS AND FAMILY UNITED STATES" (PDF).
- ^ "Rodney Scott, Trump's CBP Nominee, Accused of Covering Up Death of Mexican Father in CBP Custody". Democracy Now!. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ^ "IACHR publishes merits report on the case of Anastasio Hernández Rojas (United States)". Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (IACHR). Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ^ "Trump's CBP nominee questioned on immigrant's death at confirmation hearing". The Washington Post. 2025-04-30. Archived from the original on 2025-05-01. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ^ Murray, Daniel Gonzalez and Stephanie. "Trump's new Customs and Border Protection nominee grew up in Nogales". The Arizona Republic. Retrieved 2025-06-27.
- ^ "Coronado's Rodney Scott Selected as Chief, U.S. Border Patrol". The Coronado Times. January 27, 2020.