In a dramatic personnel shake-up that underscores his administration’s unwavering commitment to strict border control, President Donald Trump has reassigned Caleb Vitello, formerly the acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), to a role focused exclusively on field operations.
This decision, confirmed by officials on Friday, signals a strategic pivot designed to intensify efforts in arresting and deporting undocumented immigrants—a move that has already drawn considerable attention from both supporters and critics.
For nearly two years, Vitello served as ICE’s acting director following his appointment at the beginning of Trump’s second term in January.
His new assignment now places him at the helm of field and enforcement operations, where his primary responsibilities will involve coordinating and overseeing large-scale deportations and arrests. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has been clear in its message: this redeployment is a calculated step to push forward an aggressive immigration agenda.
DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin provided details about the change in an official statement. “Caleb Vitello is no longer in an administrative role,” she announced. “He will now be overseeing all field and enforcement operations, which include finding, arresting, and deporting illegal aliens. This is a major priority of the President and Secretary Noem.” This reorganization reflects a broader trend in the administration, as it seeks to return to a hardline stance on border security reminiscent of policies from Trump’s earlier term.
The personnel change is just the latest in a series of moves aimed at reshaping ICE’s structure and operations. Earlier this month, two senior officials within ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division were reassigned, an action that further reinforced the administration’s focus on a no-nonsense, enforcement-first approach. Since returning to office, Trump has repeatedly emphasized the importance of robust border security, reinstating many of his previous policies while also introducing new initiatives intended to increase detention capacity and speed up the deportation process.
Inside the administration, officials indicate that this reshuffling may not be an isolated incident. With border enforcement being a top priority, more personnel adjustments could be on the horizon as the Trump team works to realign the agency’s priorities. Tom Homan, a key White House aide tasked with coordinating immigration policies across federal agencies, highlighted the dramatic rise in immigration enforcement. “We’ve seen a sharp increase in arrests, tripling the numbers compared to last year under President Biden,” Homan reported last week. Despite these gains, Homan made it clear that the current pace is insufficient. “I’m not satisfied,” he declared. “We got to get more.”
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