Rep. Michael McCaul (R-Texas) has publicly broken with the president over his travel ban, distancing himself from the restrictions and criticizing its haphazard rollout as “problematic.” | Evan Vucci/AP White House ‘back to square one’ in search for DHS secretary Texas Republican Rep. Michael McCaul is out of the running, according to two people familiar with the search.

The Trump administration is hitting reset on its search for a permanent Department of Homeland Security secretary due to White House aides’ dissatisfaction with the slate of candidates, according to two people familiar with the process.

House Homeland Security Committee Chairman Mike McCaul had been considered the front-runner for the job, but he no longer is in contention, these people said. White House chief of staff John Kelly, who led DHS before being tapped for his new West Wing role, privately raised red flags about McCaul’s stance on immigration, which has at times diverged from that of President Donald Trump.


One person close to the process said the Trump administration is now “back to square one” on the search, and it could be weeks before a final decision is made.

The department is being helmed by Acting Secretary Elaine Duke, a DHS veteran who was Kelly’s deputy, as it copes with the fallout from Trump’s new travel restrictions, his decision to end DACA and a series of powerful hurricanes that have ravaged Texas, Florida and Puerto Rico.

McCaul is in lockstep with Trump on many issues. He is pushing legislation that would provide $10 billion for Trump’s border wall with Mexico.

But he also has publicly broken with the president over his travel ban, distancing himself from the restrictions and criticizing its haphazard rollout as “problematic.” McCaul also bashed Trump’s response to the Russia investigations, saying in a July interview, “It sort of looks paranoid to me."

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The White House has taken a deliberate approach to finding a new DHS secretary. Kelly and his deputy, Kirstjen Nielsen, are playing key roles in identifying candidates. White House aides are committed to choosing somebody with experience in homeland security and politics.

A White House spokeswoman declined to comment, saying, “We will let you know once we have any personnel announcements.”

A McCaul spokeswoman declined to comment, referring a reporter to a Fox News interview from earlier this month in which McCaul said, “This is really the president’s decision — wherever I can serve my country the best ... ultimately the president will decide that.”

Ted Hesson contributed to this story.