The Trump administration has announced it will be replacing ICE Director Caleb Vitello.
The Department of Homeland Security has announced Vitello will be reassigned within the agency.
A DHS spokesperson shared, “He is no longer in an administrative role, but is overseeing all field and enforcement operations: finding, arresting, and deporting illegal aliens, which is a major priority of the President and Secretary Noem.”
It’s speculated Vitello was reassigned after it was reported monthly deportations had not hit the Trump administration’s targets.
ICE Director Caleb Vitello fired by White House amid upset over low deportation numbers.
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BREAKING: The Trump administration is replacing acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello because of the slow pace of deportations
Tom Homan has repeatedly said on live TV that he is “NOT HAPPY with the numbers because there are a lot of criminals to find.” pic.twitter.com/E3laoF2lKI
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Here’s what The Hill reported:
The Trump administration is replacing the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) amid simmering from some officials about deportation numbers.
A Department of Homeland Security official confirmed that Caleb Vitello was being reassigned within the agency.
“He is no longer in an administrative role, but is overseeing all field and enforcement operations: finding, arresting, and deporting illegal aliens, which is a major priority of the President and the Secretary Noem,” the spokesperson said in a statement to The Hill.
The Wall Street Journal first reported on Vitello’s ouster from his post.
President Trump and his deputies have made cracking down on immigration and ramping up deportations a major priority since taking office in January.
Trump has signed executive actions declaring a national emergency at the southern border, expanding who can be deported, sending some migrants to the Guantánamo Bay detention center in Cuba and getting the military involved in border-related operations.
BREAKING: President Trump’s administration is firing and replacing the current ICE Director due to the deportation rate falling short of expectations. pic.twitter.com/BdntPJAFHZ
— Benny Johnson (@bennyjohnson) February 21, 2025