The Department of Homeland Security’s former top statistics official announced his departure over the weekend with a sharply worded message criticizing the Trump administration, saying he was “thrilled” to end his time working under the current leadership.
Marc Rosenblum, who served as executive director of the Office of Homeland Security Statistics, revealed his exit in a LinkedIn post after spending nearly a decade with the department. Rosenblum had worked at DHS since 2016 and said it had been a privilege to help improve the agency’s data collection and support evidence-based policymaking.
“It’s been an honor to serve the public by improving DHS data quality and supporting evidence-based policymaking,” Rosenblum wrote. “I’m sad to suspend my career in public service and leave my amazing team.”
Despite expressing appreciation for his colleagues, Rosenblum made clear he had little enthusiasm for remaining with the current administration.
“Between the war on immigrants, the war on feds, and the war on facts (not to mention the crazy war in Iran and the brazen corruption), I just need a change,” he wrote.
According to the Office of Homeland Security Statistics’ official website, the office is responsible for publishing “timely and authoritative immigration and homeland security statistics.” The agency compiles data covering a wide range of subjects, including immigration, emergency management, cybersecurity, and infrastructure protection.
The circumstances surrounding Rosenblum’s departure remain unclear.
When contacted the Department of Homeland Security declined to say whether Rosenblum had resigned voluntarily or had been dismissed from his position.
“People are always welcome to their opinion — that doesn’t make it right or factual,” a DHS spokesperson said. “We will not comment on personal decisions.”
Rosenblum also offered few details about his future plans, saying only that he intends to continue working in the fields of immigration data and public policy.
In his LinkedIn announcement, he said his future work would reflect his own goals and values, adding that he believes those values are shared by most Americans.
The timing of Rosenblum’s departure also drew attention from Mike Howell, president of the Oversight Project.
Howell said Sunday that the announcement came shortly after the Oversight Project filed a lawsuit seeking to compel DHS to release what he described as its “ACTUAL deportation data.”
“I am not sure what to make of the fact that this opinionated fellow was in charge of DHS stats and just bounced (or was bounced),” Howell said.
He added that he hopes the requested data will also become public.
“I would like to see those numbers leave the government as well,” Howell said.
Neither Rosenblum nor DHS provided additional information about whether his departure was connected to the lawsuit or to any other ongoing matters involving the department.
For now, Rosenblum says he is moving on from public service while planning to remain active in immigration data and policy, ending his tenure at DHS with a public critique of the administration and uncertainty surrounding the circumstances of his exit.
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