Shake-up at ICE: Top officials step down amid push for more deportations
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In the latest wave of leadership changes at US immigration and customs enforcement (ICE), several senior officials are stepping down or shifting roles, the agency announced on Thursday.
This marks the third major leadership shake-up at the agency in recent months, amid mounting pressure from US President Donald Trump's administration to significantly ramp up deportations.
Kenneth Genalo, ICE's top deportation official, is retiring, while his deputy, Garrett Ripa, will return to a regional leadership post in Florida. Meanwhile, Robert Hammer, who led the agency's homeland security investigations (HSI) division, is being reassigned within ICE.
These changes come as the Trump administration continues to struggle to fulfil Trump's campaign promises of mass deportations. Despite bolstering efforts with personnel from other federal law enforcement agencies, ICE has been constrained by limited resources.
Target: 3,000 arrests a day
The leadership overhaul was announced just a day after senior White House advisor Stephen Miller told Fox News that the administration had set an ambitious new target: 3,000 ICE arrests per day, more than four times the current rate.
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ICE had made over 66,000 arrests in the first 100 days of Trump's presidency, averaging about 660 per day.
'We are looking to set a goal of a minimum of 3,000 arrests for ICE every day,' Miller said. 'President Trump is going to keep pushing to get that number up higher each and every single day.'
Echoing the urgency, top immigration official Tom Homan told reporters Thursday, 'I'm not satisfied with the numbers. We need to increase.'
Homeland security: Leadership changes will help fulfill mandate
The department of homeland security defended the leadership changes, calling them necessary to deliver on Trump's hardline immigration agenda.
'Organizational realignments will help ICE achieve President Trump and the American people's mandate of arresting and deporting criminal illegal aliens and making American communities safe,' the department said in a statement.
Thursday's shake-up follows the February removal of two other senior officials overseeing deportation efforts. Soon after, ICE's acting director Caleb Vitello was also removed from his position.
ICE staff urged to stay the course
Amid growing uncertainty and operational demands, ICE's acting leader Todd Lyons sent a message of support to staff on Thursday.
'I say this with complete understanding that change is hard — but please know that our entire leadership team is here to support you,' Lyons wrote in an internal email obtained by The New York Times. 'I'm proud to work alongside each of you, and I will always have your backs.'
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