A sweeping overhaul of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leadership is underway nationwide as the Trump Administration intensifies its push to increase deportations.
The shake-up impacts roughly half of the country’s 25 ICE field offices, with many senior officials being reassigned and replaced by Border Patrol leaders. The move is being directed by longtime Trump adviser Corey Lewandowski and executed under the supervision of Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, who will reportedly hand-pick several of the new ICE chiefs.
According to Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, as many as 12 ICE field office directors are being removed or reassigned in a nationwide leadership reorganization aimed at raising deportation numbers. Offices affected include major hubs in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Denver, El Paso, San Diego, Seattle/Portland, and New Orleans.
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
CBS News has also confirmed the mass reassignment, reporting that up to a dozen senior ICE officials could be replaced by current or former Customs and Border Protection (CBP) leaders. Some ICE chiefs have already been notified of their transfers, according to CBS sources.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) announced Monday that more than 2 million illegal aliens have left the United States since President Donald Trump returned to office earlier this year. Of those, approximately 527,000 were deported directly, while 1.6 million voluntarily self-deported. DHS said the administration is on pace to deport nearly 600,000 illegal aliens by the end of the year.
“The Trump Administration is setting new records in border enforcement and removals,” said Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin. “This is just the beginning. President Trump and Secretary Noem have reenergized an agency that was paralyzed for the last four years. The message is clear: leave now or face removal.”
McLaughlin added that border crossings have dropped dramatically under the new enforcement measures, with migration through Panama’s Darién Gap reportedly down by 99.99%.
The administration has framed the ICE restructuring as part of President Trump’s renewed commitment to secure the border, enforce immigration laws, and restore operational control after years of lax enforcement.