Trump Administration Reassigns ICE Director After Falling Short On Arrests
Acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello has been removed from his position as President Donald Trump pushes for stronger enforcement of immigration laws. The move comes as ICE has struggled to reach the deportation numbers the administration had been expecting.
Vitello, who has spent more than two decades with ICE, will not be leaving the agency but will now be responsible for coordinating field and enforcement operations. His reassignment follows reports that ICE has failed to meet the White House’s daily arrest goals, despite a surge in targeted enforcement operations.
BREAKING: ICE conducted a worksite raid at a bakery in Texas. They arrested 8 illegal aliens and charged the owners with harboring and aiding illegal aliens.
The owners were charged with 8 USC 1324. This is the same statute Tom Homan has referenced multiple times.
Deport them… pic.twitter.com/PRjhcaxqia
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) February 21, 2025
Under Trump’s directive, ICE was expected to make between 1,200 and 1,500 arrests per day. However, records show that daily apprehensions peaked at 1,100, leading to frustration among administration officials, including Trump and border czar Tom Homan.
The White House has already tapped a temporary replacement. Madison Sheahan, who previously worked with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem when Noem was governor of South Dakota, has been appointed as deputy director, making her the highest-ranking official in the agency until a new director is selected.
Abby's Bakery Los Fresnos, Texas admitting EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE was illegal and taken by ICE
“They took all the workers from here”
The business has already been updated on Google to say “Temporarily closed” pic.twitter.com/7PDgU9jlg3
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) February 15, 2025
The president has made mass deportations a key focus of his second term, ramping up ICE operations in major cities. Recent data shows that ICE deported over 37,600 illegal immigrants during Trump’s first month back in office, though that figure still falls short of prior averages.
Vitello’s departure from his leadership role follows the removal of two other high-ranking ICE officials, who were reassigned earlier this month.
ICE Arrests Texas Bakery Owners for Harboring Migrants https://t.co/zgBvz5W486
— FollowTheMoney (@F_T_M_I_N_L) February 22, 2025