President-elect Donald Trump’s picks for his Cabinet and high-level posts have often been outsiders, but for the position of leading Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) in order to carry out his administration’s mass deportation policy, Trump chose Caleb Vitello, an experienced insider with over 20 years at ICE. Vitello’s knowledge of, and experience with, finding and apprehending fugitives will be crucial as there are over 400,000 immigrants with criminal convictions on the agency’s docket. Vitello was named as “acting” director, allowing him to start implementing aggressive removal efforts without Senate confirmation.
Many within ICE welcomed Vitello’s appointment, describing him as a thoughtful and experienced leader who understands the complexities of the immigration system. As head of ICE, Vitello will oversee the entire removal process, including locating undocumented immigrants, detaining them, and coordinating their deportation. He has also implemented a body-worn camera policy for agents to use during operations.
Vitello’s expertise in the use of force was highlighted during his time as the primary instructor at an ICE training facility, where he testified in a use-of-force case involving an incident where an ICE agent allegedly pushed a handcuffed detainee, causing injury. Vitello disputed ICE’s defense in court, stating that such actions were not condoned or taught by the agency. Despite being new to the acting director role, Vitello’s experience and approach to immigration enforcement have been met with approval by colleagues within ICE.
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