US Border Patrol to Take Over ICE's Migrant Crackdown Amid Frustration with Arrest Numbers, Sources Say.
The Trump administration is making a sweeping shake-up in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leadership in an attempt to boost deportations amid growing frustration with the agency's arrest numbers. According to two Homeland Security Department officials, at least half of ICE field office directors will be replaced by Border Patrol officials as part of the plan.
Sources close to the matter say that President Donald Trump's top aides have welcomed the more aggressive tactics employed by Border Patrol agents in securing arrests, including rappelling into apartment buildings from Black Hawk helicopters and jumping out of rental trucks. This shift marks a new phase in Trump's deportation efforts, which have come under criticism for their targeted approach.
ICE has been struggling to meet the daily arrest numbers set by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who demands 3,000 arrests per day. The administration is now placing more emphasis on Border Patrol operations, with over 1,500 agents deployed nationwide to assist with deportations. However, this approach has sparked backlash from protesters and prompted lawsuits.
Two former ICE officials have expressed concerns about the tactics employed by Border Patrol, stating that they do not own some of the resources used in these operations, such as Black Hawks. The White House's frustration with ICE has been building for months, culminating in a recent meeting where Miller threatened to remove leaders of underperforming regions unless they met the daily arrest targets.
The shake-up is led by Corey Lewandowski and Greg Bovino, who oversee Border Patrol operations targeting immigrants in major US cities. The list of directors expected to be removed is being tightly held within the White House by Miller, although two DHS officials claim it includes at least a dozen individuals whose regions are underperforming or have pushed back on more aggressive tactics.
As the Trump administration shifts its focus to Border Patrol, the future of ICE's leadership and enforcement strategies remain uncertain.
The Trump administration is making a sweeping shake-up in Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leadership in an attempt to boost deportations amid growing frustration with the agency's arrest numbers. According to two Homeland Security Department officials, at least half of ICE field office directors will be replaced by Border Patrol officials as part of the plan.
Sources close to the matter say that President Donald Trump's top aides have welcomed the more aggressive tactics employed by Border Patrol agents in securing arrests, including rappelling into apartment buildings from Black Hawk helicopters and jumping out of rental trucks. This shift marks a new phase in Trump's deportation efforts, which have come under criticism for their targeted approach.
ICE has been struggling to meet the daily arrest numbers set by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, who demands 3,000 arrests per day. The administration is now placing more emphasis on Border Patrol operations, with over 1,500 agents deployed nationwide to assist with deportations. However, this approach has sparked backlash from protesters and prompted lawsuits.
Two former ICE officials have expressed concerns about the tactics employed by Border Patrol, stating that they do not own some of the resources used in these operations, such as Black Hawks. The White House's frustration with ICE has been building for months, culminating in a recent meeting where Miller threatened to remove leaders of underperforming regions unless they met the daily arrest targets.
The shake-up is led by Corey Lewandowski and Greg Bovino, who oversee Border Patrol operations targeting immigrants in major US cities. The list of directors expected to be removed is being tightly held within the White House by Miller, although two DHS officials claim it includes at least a dozen individuals whose regions are underperforming or have pushed back on more aggressive tactics.
As the Trump administration shifts its focus to Border Patrol, the future of ICE's leadership and enforcement strategies remain uncertain.