There Was a Major Shake-Up at ICE Last Night. Here's Why

There was a massive overhaul across numerous offices at Immigration and Customs Enforcement. It was explained in a lengthy Twitter post by Fox News’ Bill Melugin. The Trump administration is no longer tolerating what some within the president’s inner orbit would consider lethargic progress toward mass deporting the hordes of criminal illegal aliens we have living among us. Sorry, if you’ve crossed into this country illegally and are caught, you’re going back. Period.

That’s the mindset, and the Trump team is looking for ICE officials who can accomplish that goal. And yes, reportedly, some people at the Department of Homeland Security are not pleased with this move. Scores of ICE officials were removed from their posts, with their replacements likely coming from the Border Patrol:

BREAKING: Per four senior DHS & Trump admin sources, a mass removal of ICE leadership around the country is underway, with up to 12 ICE field office chiefs being removed & reassigned in an effort to increase deportation numbers. I'm told the move is spearheaded by Corey…
— Bill Melugin (@BillMelugin_) October 27, 2025

Per four senior DHS & Trump admin sources, a mass removal of ICE leadership around the country is underway, with up to 12 ICE field office chiefs being removed & reassigned in an effort to increase deportation numbers. I'm told the move is spearheaded by Corey Lewandowski, and a handful of the ICE Chiefs will likely be replaced by Border Patrol & CBP officials, some of whom will be hand-picked by aggressive & controversial Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino. I'm told some of the ICE leadership removed from their positions include the ICE Field Office Directors in:
- Los Angeles
- Phoenix
- Philadelphia
- Denver
- El Paso
- San Diego
- Seattle/Portland
- New Orleans
Border Patrol officials taking over ICE leadership positions would be extremely significant, as Border Patrol and ICE do different things, and I've done numerous ride-alongs/embeds with both.
Generally speaking, ICE typically conducts very targeted operations, largely going after criminal illegal aliens or those with deportation orders, but almost always knowing who they are targeting for arrest, often conducting surveillance to learn their schedules before and waiting hours before arresting them if needed.
Border Patrol, under Trump 2.0, while sometimes doing their own targeted operations, has been extremely aggressive and has been at the forefront of some of the most controversial immigration enforcement operations we've seen so far, carrying out roving patrols in Los Angeles, Chicago, etc, often at Home Depot, car washes, flea markets etc, leading to a handful of federal judges around the country issuing injunctions against them. A majority of the viral videos you see online are Border Patrol agents, including the use of a Trojan horse style Penske moving truck at a Los Angeles Home Depot, an operation organized by Bovino.
ICE often gets blamed for what Border Patrol does, as the media and activists often cannot tell the difference between federal agents, and everyone is called "ICE". I'm told there are growing concerns about the political and PR fallout associated with some of the roving patrols Border Patrol is conducting as lawsuits continue to stack up and mid-terms approach next year.
I'm told there is significant friction within different wings of DHS and the administration, with Border Czar Tom Homan & ICE Director Todd Lyons preferring to prioritize targeting criminal aliens & the "worst of the worst" or those with deportation orders, while DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Corey Lewandowski, and BP Commander Bovino prefer to use aggressive tactics to arrest anyone in the US illegally, including but not limited to criminals, to ramp up deportation numbers and achieve President Trump's promises of mass deportations.
I am hearing from both sides of this friction.
One senior DHS official tells me:
"ICE started with the worst of the worst, knowing every target they are hitting, but since Border Patrol started in LA in June, we've (DHS) lost our focus, going too hard, too fast, with limited prioritization. It's getting numbers, but at what cost?".
Border Patrol agents I've talked to defend their tactics, with one telling me:
"What did everyone think mass deportations meant? Only the worst? Tom Homan has said it himself, anyone in the US illegally is on the table."
It's quite a situation, as both sides of this are on the same team, with the same end goals, but different perspectives on how to get there.
Another DHS official confirmed the personnel changes to me on deep background, adding that the moves are based on performance and doing what is needed to achieve the best results.

“Just spoke to another senior Trump administration official who tells me there was a widespread review of ICE leadership after the One Big Beautiful Bill passed with a massive infusion of money and these decisions were based off who can execute the mass deportation agenda the best with more staff & more money,” added Melugin.

Revamped ICE/DHS for mass deportations? It’s about time.

This is one team, one fight. President Trump has a brilliant, tenacious team led by @Sec_Noem to deliver on the American people’s mandate to remove criminal illegal aliens from this country.@StephenM @RealTomHoman @ICEDirector @CMDROpAtLargeCA @CLewandowski_ @ICEDeputy are… https://t.co/S9KlXkscXM
— Tricia McLaughlin (@TriciaOhio) October 28, 2025

#BREAKING: MANY ICE OFFICIALS REMOVED, DUE TO LOW DEPORTATION NUMBERS.
— Insider Wire (@InsiderWire) October 28, 2025

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