Leadership overhaul at ICE

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement is undergoing a sweeping leadership shift as the Donald Trump administration struggles to meet deportation targets. Up to a dozen field-office directors may be reassigned, and Border Patrol officials could take over in their stead. The move comes amid low removal numbers and mounting pressure from the White House. Internal officials see the shake-up as a signal of tougher enforcement ahead.

• ICE averages around 1,000-1,200 arrests per day, far below the 3,000-per-day target.
• Field offices in cities such as Los Angeles and Philadelphia are targeted for leadership changes.
• Using Border Patrol officials in interior enforcement marks a shift in strategy from traditional ICE methods.
  

Sources:

• The Guardian
• CBS News
• The Daily Beast

Chicago court hearing for Border Patrol official

Senior Border Patrol official Gregory Bovino will appear in federal court in Chicago after allegations he used tear gas without warnings and violated an earlier court order. The hearing follows a legal challenge that led to restrictions on crowd-control tactics by immigration agents. The crackdown, part of the enforcement operation in Chicago, involved 1,800 or more arrests and has sparked criticism from activists and local leaders.

A prior court order required agents to wear visible badges and body-cams and restricted certain tactics.

• Chicago has been a focus of intensified enforcement under Operation Midway Blitz.
• Use of tear gas in residential neighborhoods has raised civil-liberties concerns.
  

Sources:

• AP News
• Reuters

Leadership shake-up (five ICE officials reassigned)

Another layer of the staffing shift at ICE: five senior field-office directors in major cities (Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, San Diego) have been reassigned. The move is tied to dissatisfaction with removal numbers. Some positions will be replaced by Border Patrol personnel. This reflects a broader push within the administration to intensify enforcement and deportations. The Daily Beas

• Reassignments are reportedly ground-up, influenced by advisers tied to the White House.
• The change signals a push for more “numbers-driven” enforcement.
• Local legal and political reactions may complicate operations in cities targeted.
  

Sources:

• The Daily Beast

Focus on enforcement in Chicago via Bovino hearing

The Chicago enforcement operation has become a test case for the administration’s interior-immigration strategy. Gregory Bovino will answer questions in court about enforcement actions in the Little Village neighborhood – part of a larger operation that produced over 1,800 arrests. The case will explore whether agents followed federal law and court orders on use of force and identification.

• Interior enforcement (away from border) is being expanded under new strategy.
• Civil-liberties groups are mounting legal challenges in several cities.
• Mandatory body-cams and badge visibility are now mandated for agents in this region.
  

Sources:

• AP News