Washington: The Donald Trump administration has initiated the removal of senior officials within the US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) as key aides advocate for expedited deportations.

According to Anadolu Agency, NBC News disclosed on Monday that the administration plans to replace several ICE regional leaders with officials from Customs and Border Protection (CBP). Fox News correspondent Bill Melugin shared on social media platform X that this restructuring is already in progress.

Two Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials informed NBC that the White House has become increasingly satisfied with CBP’s assertive enforcement tactics. These tactics include agents rappelling from Black Hawk helicopters into apartment buildings and emerging from rental trucks in Home Depot parking lots.

A DHS official commented, “The mentality is CBP does what they’re told, and the administration thinks ICE isn’t getting the job done. So CBP will do it.”

Melugin reported that ICE field office directors in at least eight major cities, such as Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and New Orleans, are being replaced. He highlighted the presence of “significant friction in Homeland Security as to how to best to achieve more deportations.”

A Border Patrol agent quoted by Melugin defended the administration’s tougher stance, questioning the perception of mass deportations: “What did everyone think mass deportations meant? Only the worst? (US border czar) Tom Homan has said it himself, anyone in the US illegally is on the table.”

Both NBC News and Fox News acknowledged the involvement of DHS special employee Corey Lewandowski, a close ally of Secretary Kristi Noem, in spearheading the effort.

The New York Times had previously reported on Friday about the impending leadership changes at ICE.