Despite President Donald Trump's Oct. 11 announcement that he would name a replacement for Acting Homeland Security Secretary Kevin McAleenan within days, no action has been taken.
Trump tweeted at the time that McAleenan would step down from his post, adding that he would name his replacement the following week.
Since then, there has been no word.
The White House did not respond to questions from The Hill about when McAleenan's last day is or the timing of any announcement of his replacement.
But The Hill noted the search for a replacement may be stalled by a lack of viable options, since Trump prefers leaving officials in an acting capacity.
The Federal Vacancies Act stipulates that the secretary's position must be filled by an official confirmed by the Senate. There is no Senate confirmed deputy secretary.
Acting Citizenship and Immigration Services Director Ken Cuccinelli and acting Customs and Border Patrol Commissioner Mark Morgan were viewed as contenders for McAleenan's post. But White House personnel director Sean Doocey has since indicated that neither would be eligible because of the federal vacancy laws.
The Hill pointed out that Trump could choose to ignore the Vacancies Act and appoint either Cuccinelli or Morgan.
"This latest tug of war over who's going to be acting secretary is not so much a matter of policy differences between different factions in the White House, but it's also just a practical matter of who can be appointed," said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies.