Photo: Herika Martinez/Getty Images
Acting Deputy Director Matthew Albence is expected to lead U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement following Acting Director Ronald Vitiello's official resignation on Wednesday, Buzzfeed reports.
Details: Per The Huffington Post, Vitiello named Albence as his replacement in an email sent to his colleagues on Thursday, stating: "Beginning tomorrow I will be out of the office, during which time Acting Deputy Director Matt Albence will be leading the agency."
Background: Albence previously served as the executive director of enforcement and removal operations with ICE and has a reputation for his harsh approach, defending the decision to separate families along the border, and characterizing it much like "summer camp," in the summer of 2018. He also wrote a 2017 memo instructing ICE officials to act immediately when they encounter any undocumented migrant in the U.S., per Buzzfeed. Albence has been with ICE for nearly 24 years.
Go deeper: Trump's hardline new border plan