President Trump has removed Caleb Vitello from his role as acting director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), reassigning him to a more direct enforcement position as the administration ramps up mass deportations, officials confirmed Friday.

Vitello, who was appointed to lead ICE in an acting capacity at the start of Trump’s second term in January, will now oversee field operations, including the arrests and deportations of undocumented immigrants. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) framed the move as a change in direction to advance the president’s aggressive immigration agenda.

In a statement, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin announced that Vitello has been moved from his administrative position. She confirmed, “[Vitello] is no longer in an Administrative role, but is instead overseeing all field and enforcement operations: finding, arresting, and deporting illegal aliens, which is a major priority of the President and Secretary Noem.”

The shake-up follows another major personnel move earlier this month, when two high-ranking officials within ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations division were reassigned. Since returning to office, Trump has prioritized stricter border enforcement, reviving policies from his first administration while enacting new measures to expand detention capacity and expedite removals.

Caleb Vitello

The move is expected to heighten tensions with immigration advocates and Democratic-led states, many of which have already filed legal challenges against Trump’s sweeping immigration policies. But inside the administration, officials say more personnel changes could be on the horizon as Trump seeks to overhaul the agency to align with his enforcement-first approach.

Tom Homan, appointed by the White House to implement President Trump’s immigration policies across federal agencies, reported last week a significant increase in arrests within the U.S.—triple the number from last year under President Joe Biden. Despite the rise, Homan expressed his dissatisfaction.

“I’m not satisfied,” he said. “We got to get more.”

He also discussed changes in policy regarding the release of detainees from immigration custody, asserting that such decisions would now require approval from ICE leadership. “The number of releases was unacceptable,” Homan explained, “and that’s been fixed.”

Vitello, described as having “grown up in the Enforcement and Removal Operations division” of ICE, brings over 20 years of experience to his role, a former ICE official shared with NBC News when Vitello was named acting director last year.

His deep understanding of how the agency operates to arrest immigrants with criminal convictions was highlighted by the former official. Jason Houser, who served as the chief of staff at ICE during the Biden administration until early 2023, praised Vitello as a thoughtful and competent leader.

“He knows the complexities and challenges of a broken immigration system,” Houser said.

Corey Price, the former acting executive associate director of Enforcement and Removal Operations, also spoke highly of Vitello’s demeanor.

“He’s very even-keeled. I honestly can’t think of a single thing that [is] controversial about him. I don’t want to call him a Boy Scout, but he’s as close as it gets,” Price said.

A current ICE agent noted that Vitello was “very popular” among the rank and file during his tenure as acting director.