In response to the Trump administration’s dissatisfaction with the pace of immigration arrests and deportations, two senior officials at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) have been reassigned. Russell Hott has been moved to the Washington, D.C., field office, while Peter Berg will return to the St. Paul, Minnesota, office. Todd Lyons, formerly of the Boston ICE office, has been appointed as the acting head of Enforcement and Removal Operations.
These personnel changes come amid increased pressure from the administration to expedite deportations, particularly of individuals with criminal records. Tom Homan, the administration’s border czar, has expressed frustration over the current pace of deportations, despite an overall increase in arrests.
In response to these challenges, new arrest quotas have been established, aiming for higher daily arrest numbers and increased activity at field offices. However, experts caution that such measures could lead to the detention of non-criminal undocumented individuals.
These developments highlight the administration’s intensified efforts to enhance immigration enforcement and address concerns over the current pace of deportations.