With DHS head departing, unclear who will be in charge

WASHINGTON (AP) — A day before the acting Homeland Security secretary is set to depart his position, it remains unclear who will be tapped to run the agency.

Kevin McAleenan has told colleagues that he will be leaving the job on Thursday. He was expected to be feted at a goodbye party Wednesday.

Federal vacancy rules limit who is eligible to take the job permanently, but various factions in the Trump administration have been looking for legal work-arounds.

Among those said to be under consideration are Ken Cuccinelli, currently the acting head of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, and Chad Wolf, former chief of staff to ex-Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen.

The sprawling 240,000-person department oversees a huge portfolio that includes immigration enforcement, election and cyber security, disaster response and even the Secret Service.

By COLLEEN LONG and JILL COLVIN