DHS Names David Venturella as New Acting ICE Director
Primary region US
Tags Policy · Immigration
Regions US
The Department of Homeland Security announced on May 12 that David Venturella, a longtime ICE official and ally of border czar Tom Homan, will serve as acting ICE Director when Todd Lyons departs on May 31. Venturella is a career ICE official who has worked under both Republican and Democratic administrations. ICE has not had a Senate-confirmed director since 2017. Under Lyons' tenure, ICE underwent its largest expansion in U.S. history, funded through Trump's reconciliation bill. ICE is currently arresting about 1,200 people per day and has deported more than 570,000 people — well short of Trump's goal of 1 million deportations per year.
Strategic interpretation
The appointment of Venturella — a career official rather than a political firebrand — suggests DHS may be seeking a lower-profile enforcement approach after the headline-grabbing raids under Lyons. However, with Trump's deportation target unmet and midterm elections approaching, pressure to escalate enforcement will remain. The fact that ICE has operated without a Senate-confirmed director since 2017 reflects both congressional gridlock and the administration's preference for acting officials who are more directly controllable.