ICE leadership shake-up underway as key immigration enforcement officials shift
There is set to be a significant leadership shake-up at Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) within the Department of Homeland Security, as reported by Fox News. The changes will involve the retirement of Kenneth Genalo, who currently serves as the acting executive associate director of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO). Additionally, Robert Hammer, the executive associate director of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), is being reassigned.
Derek Gordon, the current deputy special agent in charge, is expected to step in as the acting HSI director. These shifts are just a part of a larger “massive realignment” within ICE, according to sources at the White House and ICE. However, both ICE and HSI have not responded to requests for comment regarding these changes.
The news of these changes comes shortly after a reported confrontation between White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller and top immigration officials at a meeting on May 21 at ICE headquarters. Miller and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem allegedly demanded that ICE ramp up arrests to 3,000 individuals per day as part of the crackdown on illegal immigration and deportations.
In response to this directive, ICE officers have initiated a nationwide effort to start arresting illegal immigrants at their immigration and asylum hearings. Specifically targeting those who have been in the U.S. for less than two years, the Department of Homeland Security’s strategy involves dropping their immigration cases, arresting them, and placing them in expedited deportation proceedings.
This initiative necessitates the dismissal of cases since migrants cannot be fast-tracked for removal if they have pending legal proceedings. These developments highlight the ongoing efforts to enforce immigration laws and secure the nation’s borders.
Brooke Taylor, a correspondent for FOX News Channel based in Dallas, provided this report. She joined the network in 2024.
