Disputes Over Deportation Tactics Trigger Leadership Shake-Up in ICE Field Offices

A significant and divisive restructuring is in the horizon for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as reports from insiders at the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) suggest the department is planning on replacing ICE leadership over disputes over deportation tactics and priorities.

According to four senior DHS officials who spoke to Fox News, the current way in which DHS and ICE have conducted President Donald Trump's anti-immigration crackdown has created some friction between people in leadership roles.

The proposed overhaul would affect ICE field offices in at least eight cities and replace several senior Border Patrol officials, signaling a major internal shift within DHS and reflecting deep disagreements over how aggressively to pursue deportations, according to officials who spoke with Fox News.

According to the report, there are two sides driving the changes. On one side, Trump's border czar Tom Homan and ICE Director Todd Lyons are reportedly the ones advocating for DHS to continue focusing on undocumented immigrants with a criminal record as well as those with final deportation orders.

On the opposing corner, DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, senior advisor Corey Lewandowski and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino are the ones that continue to push for a more aggressive approach, targeting anyone living in the U.S. illegally to boost deportation numbers in order to meet White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller's quota of deporting one million people by the end of the year.

According to two of the senior DHS officials who spoke to Fox News, the current mood inside DHS's leadership is "tense" and "combative," adding that a new approach could further decrease public support for the agency and blur the line between ICE and Border Patrol operations.

"ICE started off with the worst of the worst, knowing every target they are hitting, but since Border Patrol came to LA in June, we've lost our focus, going too hard, too fast, with limited prioritization," one senior DHS official told Fox News. "It's getting numbers, but at what cost?"

Federal immigration agents have defended the broader enforcement push, noting that large-scale deportations were always intended to include anyone in the country illegally, not just those with criminal records.

According to the report, the internal battle currently taking place among DHS leadership comes as deportation totals remain below the targets set by the Trump administration.

DHS officials who spoke to Fox News revealed that the reshuffling affects ICE field directors in several major cities, including Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Denver, Portland, Philadelphia, El Paso and New Orleans, with many of those roles expected to be filled by officials from Border Patrol or Customs and Border Protection.

Another department official characterized the changes as performance-driven, saying the intent is to reassign personnel in ways that improve results.

Similarly, DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement that while no staffing changes have been formally announced, the Trump administration remains focused on enforcing immigration laws and prioritizing the removal of violent offenders.