DHS replaces head of ICE over deportation, arrest concerns

The Trump administration is replacing the acting head of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) over concerns about the pace of deportations and arrests of illegal immigrants.

A source familiar confirmed to Fox News that acting ICE Director Caleb Vitello has been removed from his position. The source said that the administration is not happy with the pace of deportations and arrests. The development was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

A spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security confirmed the personnel change to Fox News.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANT ARRESTS SKYROCKET UNDER TRUMP ICE COMPARED TO BIDEN LEVELS LAST YEAR

“Caleb Vitello, acting director of ICE, is no longer in an Administrator role. He is, however, overseeing all field and enforcement operations: finding, arresting, and deporting illegal aliens, which is a major priority of President Trump and Secretary Noem,” they said.

ICE arrests have gone up significantly since the beginning of the administration, but not enough to meet the administration’s targets. President Donald Trump had promised a “historic” mass deportation campaign on the campaign trail.

Fox reported last week that Department of Homeland Security data showed 11,791 interior ICE arrests from Jan 20 to Feb 8., compared to 4,969 during the same period in 2024. That’s a 137% increase.

Arrests of aliens with criminal histories have soared by nearly 100% from 4,526 in the same period in 2024 to 8,993 under Trump this year. 

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Separately, numbers coming across at the border have plummeted. Fox News reported last week that the daily average number of known gotaways — illegal migrants who successfully entered the U.S. without apprehension — at the southern border since the beginning of February has plummeted to just 132 per day, down 93% from the highest numbers when former President Joe Biden was in office. Border czar Tom Homan said this week that border crossings are down 95% “based on actual data.”

Meanwhile, DHS has made a number of moves to expand ICE enforcement, including taking Biden-era limits on where agents can make arrests, deputizing officers from other agencies, and using federal prisons to house illegal immigrants. It has also ended Biden-era parole policies that allowed migrants to enter at ports of entry or be approved for travel into the U.S. Fox previously reported that the 

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The administration is also using Guantanamo Bay to house migrants. The DOH launched legal action against multiple “sanctuary” cities that do not co-operate with ICE. 

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Fox News Digital reported on Friday that the administration has also ended a Biden-era extension of Temporary Protected Status for Haitian nationals, echoing a similar move from last month for Venezuelans.

Fox News’ Mike Emanuel contributed to this report.