ICE Officials Demoted Amid Pressure to Increase Immigration Arrests
The removal of top ICE officials signals frustrations within the agency over the pace of immigration arrests amid pressure from the Trump administration to increase deportations.
The demotion of two top officials at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) comes as the agency faces increasing pressure from the Trump administration to ramp up arrests and deportations.
ICE's Russell Hott and Peter Berg have been reassigned following frustrations that officers are not meeting the president's expectations. Sources indicate that the decision was communicated via an internal email, which has not been publicly disclosed.
Since President Donald Trump took office, senior officials have been under intense pressure to fulfill promises of "millions" of deportations. Although ICE initially ramped up arrests and publicized their efforts, the agency stopped releasing daily arrest numbers recently.
Caleb Vitello, the acting director of ICE, emphasized that each of the agency’s 25 field offices should aim for 75 arrests daily. Trump aide Stephen Miller noted that this number was a minimum requirement.
Tom Homan, former acting director of ICE and now titled "border czar," expressed dissatisfaction with the current pace of immigration arrests, reiterating a focus on prioritizing criminals for enforcement.
The ICE has seen a significant increase in arrests but requires additional funding to expand its detention capacity. Homan stated that while arrests have tripled, there are still many criminal aliens to be apprehended.
Todd Lyons has been appointed as the acting head of ICE Enforcement and Removal Operations, with Garrett Ripa serving as deputy. Hott and Berg will return to other roles within ICE.
