Caleb Vitello has been removed as acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the agency failed to reach the deportation numbers expected by the White House. He will continue working within ICE but will now oversee enforcement operations rather than lead the agency.
The administration had set a goal of between 1,200 and 1,500 daily arrests, but ICE has yet to hit those figures. Reports indicate that the highest number of arrests in a single day under Vitello was 1,100. Trump and border czar Tom Homan have made it clear they expect those numbers to improve.
BREAKING: ICE conducted a worksite raid at a bakery in Texas. They arrested 8 illegal aliens and charged the owners with harboring and aiding illegal aliens.
The owners were charged with 8 USC 1324. This is the same statute Tom Homan has referenced multiple times.
Deport them… pic.twitter.com/PRjhcaxqia
— Gunther Eagleman™ (@GuntherEagleman) February 21, 2025
The move follows additional leadership changes at ICE. Two senior officials, Russell Hott and Peter Berg, were reassigned earlier this month, with both being sent back to field offices. The White House is actively searching for a new ICE director who can deliver stronger results.
Abby's Bakery Los Fresnos, Texas admitting EVERY SINGLE EMPLOYEE was illegal and taken by ICE
“They took all the workers from here”
The business has already been updated on Google to say “Temporarily closed” pic.twitter.com/7PDgU9jlg3
— Wall Street Apes (@WallStreetApes) February 15, 2025
Madison Sheahan has been named deputy director and will lead ICE until a permanent replacement is chosen. Sheahan, who previously served as Louisiana’s Department of Wildlife and Fisheries secretary, has longstanding ties to Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem.
ICE Arrests Texas Bakery Owners for Harboring Migrants https://t.co/zgBvz5W486
— FollowTheMoney (@F_T_M_I_N_L) February 22, 2025
ICE ramped up its enforcement efforts immediately after Trump returned to office, conducting large-scale raids in major cities. While removals have increased, the total number of deportations in Trump’s first month remains below the average recorded during the last full year of the previous administration.
With detention space filling quickly, ICE officials are working to ensure continued enforcement operations while addressing capacity challenges.
