Latest Moves
McAleenan Resigned As Acting Homeland Security Secretary In October 2019. [New York Times, 10/11/19]
McAleenan Cofounded Security And Travel Consulting Firm Pangiam And Served As Chairman. [Pangiam – Our Story, accessed 11/10/20]
McAleenan Serves As Senior Operating Partner For Private Equity Firm AE Industrial, Including Sitting On Boards For Portfolio Companies Gryphon And AMPAC. “Mr. McAleenan is an Operating Partner at AE Industrial, bringing over 19 years of experience in the defense and government services industries. He currently sits on the boards of AE Industrial portfolio companies, Gryphon and AMPAC.” [AE Industrial – Kevin McAleenan, accessed 11/10/20]
AE Industrial Announced It Had Acquired McAleenan’s Company, Pangiam, In November 2020. “AE Industrial Partners has acquired Linkware and Pangiam. Linkware provides custom software services, including facial recognition for national security applications, along with consulting services to Federal government organizations. Pangiam offers security and travel consulting services to commercial customers, such as pre-clearance travel technology, to make it easier and more efficient for travelers. “Both government and commercial customers are seeking state-of-the art solutions to make travel safer and more streamlined,” says AEI Principal Bryan McElwee. The combined company will be known as Pangiam, but will continue to use the Linkware brand for digital services to government customers.” [Mergers & Acquisitions, 11/5/20]
February 2020: McAleenan Was Added To Board Of Advisors For Avantus Federal. [Avantus Federal – Board of Advisors, accessed 11/10/20; LinkedIn – Kevin McAleenan, accessed 11/10/20]
March 2020: McAleenan Was Added To Board Of Directors For Federal Contractor Steampunk. “Steampunk announced today that the Honorable Kevin K. McAleenan, former Acting Secretary of Homeland Security and Commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection, has been appointed to its Board of Directors to help direct the enterprise as it accelerates its progressive growth journey.” [Steampunk press release, 3/11/20]
August 2020: McAleenan Was Added To Easy Dynamics Advisory Board. [Easy Dynamics press release, 8/10/20]
McAleenan Was Added As Distinguished Guest Lecturer At US Military Academy’s Counter Terrorism Center For Spring 2020. [CTC, 3/4/20]
Recent News
April 2018: McAleenan Signed Memo To DHS Secretary Urging Detention And Prosecution Of Parents Crossing Border With Children. “The nation’s top immigration and border officials are urging Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen to detain and prosecute all parents caught crossing the Mexican border illegally with their children, a stark change in policy that would result in the separation of families that until now have mostly been kept together. If approved, the zero-tolerance measure could split up thousands of families… In a memorandum that outlines the proposal and was obtained by The Washington Post, officials say that threatening adults with criminal charges and prison time would be the ‘most effective’ way to reverse the steadily rising number of attempted crossings. Most parents now caught crossing the border illegally with their children are quickly released to await civil deportation hearings. The memo sent to Nielsen on Monday — and signed by acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement Thomas Homan, Director of Citizenship and Immigration Services L. Francis Cissna and Customs and Border Protection Commissioner Kevin K. McAleenan — said attempted crossings by parents with children increased to nearly 700 a day last week, the highest level since 2016. The officials predicted that the number will continue to rise if Nielsen does not act.” [Washington Post, 4/26/18]
McAleenan Did Not Express Regrets On How Family Separation Policy Was Implemented. In an August 2018 interview with the New York Times, McAleenan was asked if he had any “regrets” about how the family separation policy was implemented. McAleenan answered “I think we have a responsibility to protect families and children. In 2014, when we first started seeing significant arrivals of family units, about 14 percent of our total traffic that year was family units. This year it’s 25 percent… I think the executive order was an important recalibration. Well-intended efforts to enforce the law are not going to succeed if they lose the public trust.” [New York Times, 8/7/18]
