Jan 13, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Acting director of ICE resigns

Jacob Knutson

ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C., in 2020. Photo: Olivier Douliery/AFP via Getty Images

Jonathan Fahey, acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, has resigned after leading the agency for two weeks, though it is unclear what prompted his departure, an ICE spokesperson confirmed to Axios Wednesday night.

Why it matters: Fahey's exit, first reported by Buzzfeed's Hamed Aleaziz, comes after the previous acting director, Tony Pham, abruptly left the post in December and amid a wider shakeup in the Department of Homeland Security.

Acting Secretary Chad Wolf stepped down earlier this week over security concerns regarding the U.S. Capitol siege.

Of note: Until another acting director is named, Tae Johnson, deputy director, will lead the agency, the spokesperson said.

The big picture: DHS and its agencies have struggled with permanent leadership throughout President Trump's term.

Not one of the directors of ICE under Trump were ever Senate confirmed, and DHS hasn't had a confirmed secretary since Kirstjen Nielsen resigned in 2019.

Go deeper: New DHS head tries end-around to shore up immigration rules

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Acting director of ICE resigns

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