The Trump administration has now reportedly begun a sweeping overhaul of leadership within U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a move driven by mounting dissatisfaction over the pace of deportations and a renewed commitment to fulfill the president’s promises of stricter immigration enforcement, according to reporting by NBC News and Fox News.
NBC News reported that the administration “is planning to replace some regional leaders” at ICE with officials from Customs and Border Protection, a shift that signals greater trust in the Border Patrol’s willingness to carry out aggressive apprehension efforts. Meanwhile, Fox News’s Bill Melugin said the overhaul is already “underway,” with multiple leadership positions in flux.
Two Department of Homeland Security officials told NBC News that the president’s senior advisers believe CBP has embraced tougher enforcement measures, stepping into spaces traditionally occupied by ICE. They cited recent arrests made through bold operations, including “rappelling into apartment buildings from Black Hawk helicopters and jumping out of rental trucks in Home Depot parking lots.” According to one DHS official, the prevailing internal view is straightforward: “The mentality is CBP does what they’re told, and the administration thinks ICE isn’t getting the job done. So CBP will do it.”
The push is reportedly led by DHS special employee Corey Lewandowski, described as a longtime confidant of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem. Their effort underscores a desire to ensure that deportation policy reflects the administration’s hard-line stance.
Melugin reported that ICE field office directors in at least eight cities — including Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and New Orleans — are being replaced, marking a significant shift across key metropolitan regions where immigration enforcement has often been complicated by local restrictions and political opposition.
However, the strategic shake-up has also sparked internal debate about how best to boost deportations. Melugin said there is “significant friction” within Homeland Security and among administration officials on how to pursue arrests. He noted that Border Czar Tom Homan and ICE Director Todd Lyons favor a targeted approach focused on the “worst of the worst” — criminal aliens and individuals with existing deportation orders. In contrast, Secretary Noem, Lewandowski, and Border Patrol Commander Bovino advocate for sweeping action, utilizing aggressive tactics “to arrest anyone in the US illegally, including but not limited to criminals, to ramp up deportation numbers and achieve President Trump’s promises of mass deportations.”
One Border Patrol agent put the matter plainly: “What did everyone think mass deportations meant? Only the worst? Tom Homan has said it himself, anyone in the US illegally is on the table.”
The overhaul’s scope reflects a heightened urgency inside the administration to meet campaign promises on immigration enforcement after growing impatience with what has been viewed as insufficient deportation activity. Leaders believe that enforcement agencies must align fully behind the president’s directive for mass removals.
The New York Times first reported Friday that major leadership changes within ICE were imminent. Now, with confirmations from NBC News and Fox News, the transition appears well underway — signaling the administration’s intent to replace hesitation with action as it seeks to reshape immigration enforcement from the inside out.
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