A major shakeup is reportedly underway inside Immigration and Customs Enforcement, with multiple senior DHS and Trump administration sources confirming that a mass removal of ICE leadership is in progress. According to Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin, “up to 12 ICE field office chiefs [are] being removed & reassigned in an effort to increase deportation numbers.” The move is said to be led by longtime Trump ally Corey Lewandowski and will likely see several ICE directors replaced by Border Patrol and CBP officials — some hand-picked by “aggressive & controversial” Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino.
Among those being removed, Melugin reports, are ICE Field Office Directors in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Denver, El Paso, San Diego, Seattle/Portland, and New Orleans. The shift could mark a significant operational change, given that ICE and Border Patrol “do different things,” as Melugin explained.
ICE traditionally carries out targeted enforcement actions, focusing on criminal illegal aliens or individuals with deportation orders. Agents often conduct surveillance and “wait hours before arresting them if needed.” Border Patrol, on the other hand, has taken on a much more aggressive role under Trump’s second term, spearheading some of the administration’s most controversial immigration operations. Melugin notes they’ve conducted “roving patrols in Los Angeles, Chicago, etc., often at Home Depot, car washes, [and] flea markets,” which have already prompted injunctions from several federal judges.
Many viral immigration enforcement videos online actually involve Border Patrol rather than ICE, such as the “Trojan horse style” Penske truck sting at a Los Angeles Home Depot — an operation organized by Bovino himself. Yet ICE often bears the brunt of public outrage because, as Melugin points out, “the media and activists often cannot tell the difference between federal agents.”
Inside DHS, this aggressive new strategy is reportedly causing tension. Sources tell Melugin that Border Czar Tom Homan and ICE Director Todd Lyons want to stay focused on targeting “the worst of the worst” — criminal aliens and those with deportation orders. But DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, Lewandowski, and Bovino favor broader sweeps to fulfill President Trump’s promise of mass deportations.
“I am hearing from both sides of this friction,” Melugin said, describing growing political and public-relations concerns as lawsuits pile up and next year’s midterm elections draw closer.
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A senior DHS official told Melugin there is growing unease within the department over the direction of immigration enforcement. “ICE started with the worst of the worst, knowing every target they are hitting,” the official said. “But since Border Patrol started in LA in June, we’ve (DHS) lost our focus, going too hard, too fast, with limited prioritization. It’s getting numbers, but at what cost?”
Not everyone inside DHS agrees. Border Patrol agents Melugin spoke with defended their tougher approach. One agent pushed back on criticism of the broader sweeps, saying, “What did everyone think 'mass deportations meant? Only the worst? Tom Homan has said it himself: Anyone in the U.S. illegally is on the table.”
The divide underscores a growing rift within an agency ostensibly united behind President Trump’s mission to restore law and order at the border. Both factions share the same ultimate goal — removing illegal immigrants — but differ sharply on how to get there.
Another DHS official confirmed the leadership shakeup to Melugin and insisted the changes were “based on performance and doing what is needed to achieve the best results.”
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
This reorganization isn’t some routine bureaucratic shuffle; it’s battle prep. Trump’s putting an end to the hesitation and handwringing in immigration enforcement. He promised results, and he’s going to get them.
Democrats aren’t going to like where this is headed. If this overhaul works as intended, deportations are about to surge, and the left will lose its mind. But that’s exactly the point. Trump ran on restoring law and order, and his team isn’t about to apologize for actually doing it.
Editor’s Note: The Schumer Shutdown is still ongoing, and polls are now showing Americans are increasingly blaming the Democrats for this mess — but we can’t let them spin their way out of it.
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