The top border patrol officer in the US has resigned after a year in which there was a record number of migrant crossings at the Mexico border.
US President Joe Biden accepted the resignation of US Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Christopher Magnus at the weekend, the White House said.
The number of migrant encounters has grown to a record high under Mr Biden's administration, prompting attacks from Republicans in the run-up to the midterms.
They said the White House was not doing enough to secure the southern border.
Republican governors Gregg Abott of Texas and Ron DeSantis of Florida sent dozens of migrants on buses to Democratic strongholds in northern cities.
The White House accused the governors of treating migrants as “political pawns”.
It said it had been working to process asylum seekers in a humanitarian way.
Migrant arrivals in the US this past fiscal year passed two million for the first time in the nation's history.
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Two busloads of migrants from the US-Mexico border arrived outside Vice President Kamala Harris's home in Washington on Thursday. AFP -
Texas Governor Greg Abbott confirmed that the buses from Texas arrived at the Naval Observatory in north-west Washington. AFP -
Since April, Mr Abbott has ordered buses to carry thousands of migrants from Texas to Washington, New York City and Chicago to highlight criticisms of President Joe Biden’s border policy. AFP -
Migrants from Venezuela, who boarded a bus in Texas, wait to be transported to a local church by volunteers after being dropped off in Washington. AFP -
Many migrants who cross the US border illegally from Mexico are temporarily shielded from deportation to seek asylum in immigration court or released on humanitarian role, once they are freed by US authorities. AFP -
Mr Abbott said Texas sent two buses of migrants to Washington in an effort to call on Mr Biden's administration to 'secure the border. AFP -
A volunteer assists migrants who were bused from Texas to Washington. AFP -
Mr Abbott and other Republican governors have bused migrants to Democratic-held cities across the US in opposition to Mr Biden's border policies. AFP -
A migrant at Martha’s Vineyard, Massachusetts. Reuters -
Venezuelan migrants are seen at the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, Massachusetts. Reuters -
Martha's Vineyard, a summer holiday destination, has a year-round population of only 20,000 people. Reuters -
Venezuelan migrants play football outside the Martha's Vineyard Regional High School, Massachusetts. Reuters -
Volunteers assist Venezuelan migrants outside St Andrew's Church in Martha's Vineyard. Reuters
Nicaraguans, Venezuelan and Cuban migrants, fleeing food insecurity and poverty, were the vast majority of those who crossed the border.
Deputy commissioner Troy Miller will take up the role of acting commissioner, Department of Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas said.
Mr Mayorkas is due to testify before Congress twice this week on "threats to the homeland".
