Top Trump ICE official is reassigned as deportations lag in first month

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By Ted Hesson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – U.S. President Donald Trump’s top official at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been reassigned as arrests and deportations have lagged expectations, a senior Trump official and two other sources familiar with the matter said on Friday. 

The official, Caleb Vitello, was in the role in an acting capacity and under pressure to step up enforcement after other top ICE officials were reassigned last week. 

Vitello will now oversee enforcement operations but not have an administrative role, U.S. Department of Homeland Security spokesperson Tricia McLaughlin said.

Trump, a Republican, recaptured the White House promising a sweeping immigration crackdown but deportations stalled during his first month in office. At the same time, the Trump administration took an array of steps to ramp up enforcement in coming months.

Madison Sheahan, secretary of the Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries, will join ICE as deputy director, the senior official and a separate person familiar with the matter said, making her the top official until the director role is filled.

Sheahan worked with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem while she was governor of South Dakota.

(Reporting by Ted Hesson; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama and Daniel Wallis)