Two top Immigration and Customs Enforcement bigwigs have been demoted for reportedly failing to keep up with President Trump’s migrant deportation crackdown demands — with an official who has previously called for the long-shuttered ICE office at Rikers Island to reopen tapped to lead the enforcement division.
The officials, Russell Hott and Peter Berg, were recently cut from ICE’s enforcement division amid increasing pressure from the Trump administration to ramp up the number of illegal migrant arrests and deportations, the Washington Post reported, citing sources.
“ICE needs a culture of accountability that it has been starved of for the past four years,” a DHS spokesperson said in a statement in the wake of the demotions.
“We have a President, DHS secretary, and American people who rightfully demand results, and our ICE leadership will ensure the agency delivers.”
Hott and Berg, who had held top posts in the Enforcement and Removal Operations division, are now being forced to return to local field offices in Washington and Minnesota, respectively, the sources said.
Todd Lyons, the leading official at ICE’s Boston office, is slated to take over the division, the sources added.
In December, Lyons called for the ICE office at the Rikers Island jail complex to reopen to detain migrant criminals.
“Reestablishing the [US Immigration and Customs Enforcement] unit at Rikers would allow [Enforcement and Removal Operations] NYC officers to take direct custody of foreign-born criminal offenders without the need to re-apprehend these criminals at large in the community,” Lyons, who was then Assistant Director of Field Operations, argued.
The demotions come as officers scramble to keep pace with Trump’s goal to boot millions of violent migrants and gangbangers from the country.
News of the ICE shake-up came as Trump’s border czar, Tom Homan, said he wasn’t satisfied with the speed of raids, arrests and deportations.
““If you look at the rest of interior enforcement, it’s about three times higher than it was a year ago today. Three times higher is good, but I’m not satisfied,” Homan told NewsNation, citing figures that ICE has tripled the number of migrant arrests.
“There are more criminal aliens that need to be arrested, hundreds of thousands.”
“Sanctuary cities are putting roadblocks up. We’ve got leaks. So we need to increase the arrests of illegal aliens, especially those with criminal convictions. So we’re going to continue,” he added.
Sweeping immigration raids have been underway in major cities across the country — including in the Big Apple — ever since President Trump took office.
Those arrested include illegals accused of rape, sex crimes against minors, and guns and drug offenses, according to ICE.
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