The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency has announced a sweeping leadership reshuffle as it intensifies efforts to implement President Donald Trump’s mass deportation strategy, aimed at drastically increasing the daily arrest and removal of undocumented immigrants.
In a news release issued Tuesday, ICE confirmed several top-level personnel changes across its Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) divisions. Kenneth Genalo, the acting director of ERO, will retire and transition to a role as a special government employee with the agency. His position will now be filled by Marcos Charles as acting director. Meanwhile, Robert Hammer, the current acting head of HSI, will assume a new leadership position at ICE headquarters, with Derek Gordon stepping in as the acting HSI chief.
The agency stated that the reorganization would support its mandate “to arrest and deport criminal illegal aliens and make American communities safe,” aligning with President Trump’s directive to ramp up immigration enforcement nationwide.
The changes come just days after White House Deputy Chief of Staff Stephen Miller announced on Fox News that the administration’s target is 3,000 ICE arrests per day — a nearly fivefold increase from the current average. From January 20 to May 19, ICE recorded 78,155 arrests, averaging 656 per day.
This push represents the latest step in a broader overhaul at ICE, which has seen a series of high-level shakeups since February as part of Trump’s renewed commitment to removing undocumented immigrants. However, logistical hurdles remain. ICE faces long-standing resource constraints, including a stagnant number of enforcement officers, limited detention space, and a shortage of aircraft for deportation flights.
To address these constraints, the administration is seeking a substantial funding increase through Congress. The proposed package aims to support the annual removal of up to 1 million undocumented individuals, expand detention capacity to 100,000 beds, and add 10,000 new ICE officers and investigators.
As the agency braces for its largest operational surge yet, officials argue the restructuring will enhance ICE’s readiness to fulfill what it describes as the American people’s demand for immigration control and public safety.
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