A mass shakeup of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) leadership is underway amid growing friction inside the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) over deportation tactics and priorities, according to four senior DHS officials.
The overhaul affects ICE field offices in at least eight cities and will replace many senior leaders with Border Patrol officials, marking an unprecedented power shift inside DHS and exposing sharp divisions over how far to go in ramping up deportations, the officials told Fox News.
The changes are being driven by competing camps inside DHS.
On one side are Border Czar Tom Homan and ICE Director Todd Lyons, who have advocated focusing on criminal aliens and those with final deportation orders.
‘DEFEND THE HOMELAND’: DHS UNVEILS STRIKING NEW ICE FLEET TO BOOST RECRUITMENT, VISIBILITY
Kristi Noem, U.S. Department of Homeland Security secretary, and “Border Czar” Tom Homan are pictured during a press conference Monday, July 21, 2025, regarding a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer who was shot in Manhattan, New York. (Barry Williams/Getty Images)
On the other side are DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, senior adviser Corey Lewandowski and Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino, who have pushed for a broader and more aggressive approach, targeting anyone in the U.S. illegally to boost deportation numbers.
Two senior officials described the mood inside DHS as “tense” and “combative,” with some ICE leaders warning the new approach could erode public support 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. “It’s getting numbers, but at what cost?”
TRUMP ADMINISTRATION ENDS AGE CAP FOR ICE POSITIONS IN MAJOR RECRUITMENT DRIVE
A demonstrator wearing an inflatable Capybara costume stands outside the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) headquarters in south Portland. (Carlos Barria/Reuters)
Another senior official put it bluntly, “ICE is arresting criminal aliens. They [Border Patrol] are hitting Home Depots and car washes.”
Border Patrol agents have defended the new strategy.
“What did everyone think mass deportations meant? Only the worst?” one agent told Fox News. “Tom Homan has said it himself — anyone in the U.S. illegally is on the table.”
ICE NABS 3-TIME DEPORTED ILLEGAL ALIEN CHARGED WITH ASSAULTING A POLICE OFFICER: ‘GOOD RIDDANCE’
USBP Chief Patrol Agent of the El Centro sector, Greg Bovino, speaks with federal agents in the Cicero neighborhood during an immigration raid in Chicago. (Jim Vondruska/Reuters)
The internal friction comes as deportation totals remain below targets set by the administration earlier this year. Officials told Fox News that the latest round of reassignments impacts ICE field chiefs in Los Angeles, San Diego, Phoenix, Denver, Portland, Philadelphia, El Paso and New Orleans — positions expected to be filled by Border Patrol and Customs and Border Protection (CBP) officials.
A separate DHS official confirmed the personnel changes, describing them as “performance-based” and designed “to move people around for the best results.”
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DHS spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said in a statement: “While we have no personnel changes to announce at this time, the Trump administration remains laser focused on delivering results and removing violent criminal illegal aliens from this country.”
Rubio pledges increased action against Venezuelan dr.*g cartels: ‘We’re not going to sit back anymore’
Rubio pledges increased action against Venezuelan dr.*g cartels: ‘We’re not going to sit back anymore’
Rubio Defends U.S. Strike on Venezuelan Dr*g Cartel
Targeting Narco-Te**orism Secretary of State Marco Rubio on Wednesday defended President Donald Trump’s str*ke on a cartel-operated vessel off Venezuela. He promised the U.S. will no longer “sit back” in the fig.ht against narco-te**orism.
The str*ke on Tuesday hit a vessel in the southern Caribbean Sea allegedly carrying members of the Tren de Aragua cartel. Rubio told reporters, “We’re not going to sit back anymore and watch these people sail up and down the Caribbean like a cruise.”
A Shift in U.S. Policy The operation reportedly ki**ed 11 cartel members. Tren de Aragua had been designated a te**orist organization in February. This str*ke marked a sharp shift from the U.S.’s previous “seize and apprehend” approach toward international g*ng networks.
Rubio stressed the threat these groups pose. “The president of the United States has determined that narco-te**orist organizations endanger U.S. national security. I don’t need to explain why,” he said. He highlighted that these organizations traffic dr*gs, w**pons, and people.
“These are not casual dealers or part-time criminals,” Rubio added. “These are structured, corporate-like groups specializing in d**dly dr*g trafficking into the United States. They pose an immediate thr**t. Period.”
Ineffective Past Policies Speaking from Mexico, Rubio discussed counter-narc*tics and a*ms agreements. He criticized the previous policy. “These cartels expect to lose 2% of their cargo—it’s built into their economics,” he explained. “What stops them is when you destroy them, when you remove them entirely.”
Emerging Thr**ts Rubio also highlighted the cartels’ growing arsenal. Groups like Tren de Aragua are now reportedly using unconventional w**pons, including drones, posing a serious international security thr**t.
“We see these cartels deploying drone technology, along with landmines and grenades,” Rubio said. “They are using these tools to threaten security forces in neighboring countries like Colombia.”
Future Operations Rubio confirmed the strategy used on Tuesday will continue. “It’ll happen again. Maybe it’s happening right now. But the president is determined to wage w*r on narco-te**orist organizations,” he stated.
