Reports say that there is a big and “unprecedented power shift” going on within the Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) department. This will alter leadership responsibilities in field offices in several U.S. cities. some sources say that some high-ranking officials at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) are being fired and replaced by Border Patrol agents. This means that the agency’s leadership structure is about to change a lot.
Media was the first to report on the subject, using four unnamed officials from the DHS. The report says that this internal shakeup is the result of a lot of disagreement within the department about how to enforce deportation more strictly and possibly more broadly. The changes in leadership that have been announced will affect ICE field offices in at least eight cities.
Internal Fight Over Deportation Plan
The main reason for the purported shakeup is a big disagreement within the DHS about who should be deported:
The Narrow Enforcement Side: This group, which apparently includes Tom Homan (Trump’s Border Czar) and ICE Director Todd Lyons, wants to deport immigrants based only on their criminal records and unlawful presence in the nation.
The Broader Enforcement Side: This faction, which is said to be gaining support from the present administration, includes DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, senior Trump administration adviser Corey Lewandowski, and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino. People say that they want a more wider strategy when choosing immigrants to send back to their home countries.
A different story from CBS News, quoting a high-ranking DHS official, says that the administration has already backed Secretary Noem and her team’s broader enforcement approach, giving them the upper hand in the fight over policy within the agency.
Greg Bovino’s Growing Role in Law Enforcement
The papers have also talked a lot about how much more involved Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino has become. Many people know that the Trump administration has often asked Bovino to help with immigration enforcement issues. Because of this history, some people think that Bovino could be put in charge of immigration enforcement once the leadership change is complete. However, there has been no formal word that he will take on this responsibility.
DHS Is Still Quiet
DHS officials are not confirming any staff changes right now, even though there have been specific reports of changes that are about to happen.
Tricia McLaughlin, a DHS spokesperson, said this about the situation: “We don’t have any personnel changes to announce right now, but the Trump administration is still very focused on getting results and kicking violent criminal illegal aliens out of the country.”
These revisions come after other well-known events involving ICE, such as the controversial imprisonment of Bronx youngster Joel Camas, which caused public uproar and a reaction from the DHS that sought to clarify the facts of the case.