In a sweeping move aimed at intensifying immigration enforcement, the Trump administration is reportedly preparing to remove at least a dozen senior field office directors at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), replacing many with officials from U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), particularly from the Border Patrol. The reshuffle, according to multiple Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and law enforcement sources, could take effect as early as this week.

The overhaul would impact nearly half of ICE’s 25 nationwide field offices and reflects mounting frustration within the White House over what it perceives as insufficient progress in arrest and deportation rates. Officials familiar with the discussions describe the strategy as a tactical pivot—replacing ICE career veterans who focus on targeted enforcement operations with Border Patrol officials known for large-scale raids and aggressive tactics.

At the center of the internal conflict are deportation quotas established in May by White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller. The administration set a goal of 3,000 daily arrests, but ICE has struggled to reach even half that number, averaging roughly 1,178 per day as of late September. During a tense May meeting with ICE executives, Miller reportedly warned that underperforming regional leaders would be dismissed if results did not improve, sparking pushback from Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons.

To close the enforcement gap, DHS has already reassigned more than 1,500 Border Patrol agents to major metropolitan areas to assist ICE in mass operations. These deployments have led to widespread protests, legal challenges, and increased federal oversight amid accusations of civil rights violations.

Sources indicate that the leadership shake-up is already underway in several regions, including Denver, as the administration presses forward with its hardline immigration agenda heading into the final stretch of the year.