"Trump Officially Picks John Kelly To Lead DHS"

"Retired Marine Corps Gen. John Kelly is Donald Trump’s choice to lead the Department of Homeland Security, the president-elect’s transition team officially announced Monday morning.

News that Kelly would be tapped to lead the Department of Homeland Security first trickled out last week but was not publicly confirmed by Trump’s transition team until Monday morning. Kelly is a former head of the U.S. Southern Command, overseeing the military in the Caribbean as well as Central and South America. He is a Gold Star father whose son was killed in Afghanistan in 2010.

“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.”"

Louis Nelson reports for Politico December 12, 2016.