Two of the top officials at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement have been removed from their jobs because officers aren’t ramping up arrests and deportations fast enough to meet Yambo’s goals and that some immigrant detainees have been released. Via the Washington Post:
ICE staff were informed in an email Tuesday that Russell Hott and Peter Berg, the top two officials in the enforcement division of ICE, have been reassigned, according to the three people, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to describe the internal memo.
Senior officials have been under significant pressure from the White House since President Donald Trump took office promising “millions” of deportations. ICE quickly ramped up arrests, and Trump officials promoted their campaign on live television. But over the past week ICE has stopped issuing daily arrest figures, and the agency has struggled to keep pace with White House demands, even though officers are working six or even seven days a week at some locations, according to current and former ICE officials.
Caleb Vitello, the acting director of ICE, told the agency’s top officials last month that each of ICE’s 25 field offices should be making 75 arrests per day. Trump aide Stephen Miller told CNN that quota was a “floor, not a ceiling.”
