The Trump administration is preparing a broad reorganization of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement after the agency failed to meet the White House's daily arrest target, marking one of the most aggressive internal reshuffles since the start of the president's second term.
According to multiple officials familiar with the discussions, as many as a dozen ICE field office directors could be reassigned in the coming weeks, with several replacements expected to come from the U.S. Border Patrol. The move would affect roughly half of ICE's 25 regional offices and signal a shift toward a more enforcement-oriented leadership structure.
The Department of Homeland Security declined to confirm specific personnel changes but issued a statement emphasizing its commitment to "delivering results and removing violent criminal illegal aliens." Internally, however, administration officials have voiced frustration over ICE's inability to hit a benchmark of 3,000 arrests per day-a target that senior aides have described as central to the president's immigration agenda.
Data reviewed by internal analysts show ICE's current performance falling well below expectations. In September, the agency averaged about 1,178 arrests per day-less than half of the administration's stated goal. The shortfall has prompted discussions about importing command strategies from the Border Patrol, which some officials argue operates with greater "discipline and aggressiveness" in field operations.
The restructuring reflects a broader transformation in federal immigration enforcement. What was once a process guided by discretion and prioritization has become a high-volume, metrics-driven campaign focused on rapid removals. Since January, ICE has increasingly coordinated with other DHS components to expand deportation capacity, while Border Patrol agents have been deployed deeper into the U.S. interior to assist in mass arrests.
Operations in Chicago have become a flashpoint for the administration's intensified tactics. Last month, DHS and ICE launched "Operation Midway Blitz," deploying hundreds of agents in raids across the metropolitan area. The agency reported 550 arrests, touting the effort as a model for nationwide replication. Yet local officials condemned the operation, citing a lack of coordination and reports of overreach.
Community leaders say the raids ensnared numerous individuals without serious criminal histories. Two employees of a Chicago alderman-both U.S. citizens-were briefly detained. Video footage from the scene showed agents rappelling from helicopters, firing pepper balls, and zip-tying children's wrists, sparking outrage across social media.
Legal scrutiny soon followed. A federal judge ruled that at least 22 arrests during the Chicago operation violated a 2022 court agreement limiting ICE's authority in several Midwestern states. That injunction requires federal agents to disclose warrantless detentions regularly-a condition that immigrant advocacy groups say continues to be ignored.
Grassroots organizations have reported surging distress in immigrant neighborhoods, with families scrambling to locate detained relatives and legal hotlines overwhelmed by calls. Some communities have revived neighborhood alert systems-blowing whistles or flashing porch lights when agents are spotted nearby.
