Trump administration purges ICE field officials
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DHS Kristi Noem on Oct. 23. Photo: Will Oliver/EPA/Bloomberg via Getty Images
A third major shakeup is happening with top officials at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), three sources familiar with the changes tell Axios.
Why it matters: The Trump administration has put significant pressure on ICE to meet the administration's arrest and deportation goals.
Driving the news: Almost half of ICE's field office directors are being shifted out of their roles in an effort to ramp up immigration enforcement.
- They will be replaced with leaders from other parts of the Department of Homeland Security, including Border Patrol, which has been assisting ICE in its operations in Los Angeles and Chicago.
Zoom in: The Washington Examiner first reported the leadership shakeup on Monday, which included removing ICE's top staff in Portland, Denver, San Diego, Phoenix, Los Angeles and Philadelphia.
- The field office directors are being reassigned, one source told Axios.
- More changes in other offices around the country are expected today, one source told Axios.
- There are 25 field offices across the country and as many as a dozen changes are possible.
Zoom out: Fox News reported that the leadership changes come as there's a split between Trump administration officials.
- Sources told Fox that Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem wants broader arrest priorities, while White House border czar Tom Homan and ICE acting Director Todd Lyons prefer to prioritize arrests of undocumented people with criminal records.
- But Noem's media interviews and public statements have often focused on targeting the "worst of the worst" and people with criminal records.
- Homan has said in several interviews that "if you're in the country illegally, you're on the table" for arrest and deportation. One source said Lyons is also equally committed to broad enforcement.
What they're saying: ICE's deputy director Madison Sheahan told Fox News on Tuesday that there's "not a split in leadership."
- "Sec. Noem, President Trump, Director Todd Lyons are all in lock step to be able to deliver for the American people," Sheahan said. "Our job is to go out and target criminal illegal aliens... We are one team and this is one fight to deliver for the American people.
The intrigue: Replacing ICE leadership with Border Patrol is expected to increase the number of arrests in part because ICE's arrests are typically targeted.
- Border Patrol has been behind more indiscriminate operations, including raids at Home Depots or other work sites.
- Targeted arrests require more surveillance and planning.
Flashback: In May, roughly a week after White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller set a 3,000 arrest goal target, ICE swapped out two of its top leaders in Washington — ousting the heads of Enforcement and Removal Operations and Homeland Security Investigations.
- In February, reportedly due to lagging daily arrest totals, ICE's acting director and deputy director were also both replaced.
