The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency (ICE) is undergoing a leadership change as the Trump administration intensifies its immigration enforcement agenda.
Kenneth Genalo, who currently oversees Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO), will soon step down from his role, The Latin Times reported, citing CBS News. His departure coincides with a broader policy shift aimed at increasing arrests and deportations of undocumented migrants across the country.
According to The Latin Times, Robert Hammer, the head of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), will also be reassigned within the agency. Reports indicate that President Donald Trump is dissatisfied with ICE’s performance during the first four months of his new term.
During a high-level meeting at ICE headquarters on May 21, White House adviser Stephen Miller reportedly instructed regional directors to ramp up enforcement, setting an ambitious target of 3,000 arrests per day. Several attendees perceived his tone as a veiled threat, suggesting that failure to meet the new quotas could cost them their jobs, The Latin Times noted.
While Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem reportedly took a less confrontational approach during the meeting, she expressed support for the administration’s intensified strategy and invited feedback from field leadership.
The shift in focus from border enforcement to interior arrests comes amid a dramatic drop in illegal border crossings — 7,181 were recorded in March 2025, compared to over 137,000 a year earlier. This drop has allowed ICE to redirect its resources toward domestic enforcement, according to The Latin Times. The agency has not yet announced replacements for the outgoing officials.
Data obtained by NBC News shows that deportations increased by 50% between February and April. In April alone, over 17,200 individuals were removed from the United States — the highest monthly figure since President Trump returned to office, and one that surpasses the number of deportations under President Biden during the same period in 2024.
Despite the uptick, deportation numbers still fall short of the president’s campaign promise to remove “millions and millions” of undocumented immigrants. The Latin Times reports that, at the current pace, annual deportations would reach approximately 206,000 — significantly lower than the figures Trump pledged.
Analysts see this leadership reshuffle as a signal of a new phase in the administration’s immigration strategy, which now appears to prioritize domestic enforcement over border control.
In so-called “sanctuary cities,” ICE officers are reportedly changing tactics. Many arrests are now being carried out inside or near immigration courthouses. A significant number of those detained reportedly have no criminal history and were simply attending routine immigration appointments.
