The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agency is experiencing a significant leadership transition amid intensified efforts by the Trump administration to increase deportations. Several senior officials have either stepped down or been reassigned, marking the agency's third major leadership shake-up in recent months.
Among the changes, Kenneth Genalo, the top official responsible for deportations at ICE, is retiring. His deputy, Garrett Ripa, will return to a regional leadership role in Florida. Additionally, Robert Hammer, former head of ICE's Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), is being reassigned within the agency.
These shifts coincide with mounting pressure from the White House to meet ambitious deportation targets. Senior advisor Stephen Miller recently disclosed a new goal of 3,000 ICE arrests per day—more than four times the average daily arrests of approximately 660 seen in the first 100 days of the Trump presidency. ICE had recorded over 66,000 arrests during that period.
Tom Homan, a top immigration official, emphasized the urgency of increasing these numbers, stating, "I'm not satisfied with the numbers. We need to increase." The Department of Homeland Security defended the leadership changes, labeling them as necessary for ICE to fulfill its mandate of arresting and deporting undocumented criminal aliens to enhance community safety.
This latest leadership reorganization follows earlier removals of senior officials overseeing deportation efforts, including the dismissal of ICE's acting director Caleb Vitello. Despite internal uncertainty, acting ICE leader Todd Lyons encouraged agency staff to remain focused, reaffirming leadership support: "Change is hard, but our entire leadership team is here to support you. I’m proud to work alongside each of you, and I will always have your backs."
