Acting ICE Director Reassigned, According to DHS Spokesperson

The Trump administration has confirmed the reassignment of acting Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director, Caleb Vitello, to different responsibilities as of Friday.

“While he is no longer in an administrative position, he will manage all field and enforcement operations: locating, apprehending, and deporting illegal aliens, which is a top priority for the President and Secretary [Kristi] Noem,” stated a Department of Homeland Security (DHS) spokesperson to The Epoch Times.

No additional details were shared. The spokesperson addressed inquiries regarding whether Vitello had been relieved of his duties as acting ICE director.

Vitello’s reassignment follows public statements from President Donald Trump and his border representative, Tom Homan, expressing concern that the volume of ICE arrests and deportations falls short. Homan has also indicated his worry about potential leakages regarding ICE enforcement activities to the media.

The DHS spokesperson did not specify who would assume leadership of ICE following Vitello’s reassignment.

Upon naming Vitello as acting ICE director, Trump emphasized on social media Vitello’s over 23 years of experience within ICE. Previously, Vitello served as the assistant director of ICE’s Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs.

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“Caleb’s outstanding leadership, broad experience, and dedication to ICE’s mission make him an excellent candidate for implementing my initiatives aimed at enhancing the safety and security of American communities affected by illegal immigration,” Trump remarked about Vitello on Truth Social last year.

During his campaign for presidency, Trump emphasized that the deportation of illegal immigrants would be among his top priorities if elected.

Shortly after taking office, Trump signed several executive actions aimed at strengthening security along the U.S.–Mexico border, significantly increasing efforts to deport illegal immigrants.

The executive actions included designating Mexican cartels and two transnational gangs as global terrorist organizations, declaring a national emergency at the southern border, and eliminating birthright citizenship, among other measures.

Initially, ICE officials provided daily updates on immigration-related arrests and detentions at the outset of Trump’s administration, but a review shows that updates ceased on January 31.

Recently, the Trump administration has shared limited information regarding the number of individuals illegally residing in the U.S. who have been arrested or detained by ICE.

ICE and its Enforcement and Removal Operations division serve as the primary law enforcement agency responsible for executing Trump’s proposed deportation efforts against illegal immigrants.

When ICE previously reported daily updates, they indicated an average of 787 arrests per day, in contrast to an average of 311 daily arrests during a 12-month period ending September 30 under President Joe Biden’s administration.

Last week, the White House announced in a video that ICE had apprehended 11,000 criminals over an 18-day span, averaging around 611 arrests per day.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.