DHS Secretary Mayorkas guts Homeland Security Advisory Council

Homeland Security Secretary Alejandro Mayorkas has fired dozens of members of the Homeland Security Advisory Council as part of the effort to "reconstitute" the panel, according to a letter obtained by CBS News.

The letter, first reported by Politico, tells members that he has "ended the term of current HSAC members effective March 26, 2021," in order to facilitate "an orderly transition to a new model" for the panel. "I am considering how the HSAC can bring the greatest value to the Department and how the expertise, judgment, and counsel of its members can be harnessed most effectively to advance the Department's mission," Mayorkas wrote. "I expect to work closely with the HSAC and to rely on its Members to help guide the Department through a period of change."