ICE Faces Leadership Shakeup, Exposing Divide Among Trump Officials Over Deportation Goals

Immigration and Customs Enforcement is facing a massive leadership shakeup, exposing a major internal divide over the direction of President Donald Trump’s mass deportation effort.

ICE leadership in Los Angeles, Phoenix, Philadelphia, Denver, El Paso, San Diego, Seattle/Portland, and New Orleans will be replaced with Border Patrol officials, according to sources familiar with the plan.

An internal message informing Homeland Security personnel of the changes came from senior adviser Corey Lewandowski, whose role is temporary and similar to that of Elon Musk’s former position in the White House, sources said.

“It’s a s*** show … this is all Corey Lewandowski,” one source fumed. “He wants power.”

“Noem isn’t even in control, it’s all Corey,” the source added.

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Corey Lewandowski serves as a special government employee at DHS (Alex Wong/Getty Images)

Lewandowski is at odds with Trump’s Border Czar Tom Homan and Acting ICE Director Todd Lyons over the mass deportation targets, sources said. Homan and Lyons want more criminals arrested, while Lewandowski is only concerned with increasing numbers.

Border Patrol has largely made arrests during sweeps of Home Depot parking lots and car washes, facing legal backlash for the operations.

Border Patrol Commander Greg Bovino is set to testify in a federal court in Chicago after he allegedly used tear gas on anti-ICE agitators in possible violation of a court order.

They’re “used to being on the border” and don’t have as much experience “working in the community,” where they must “build relationships” and develop intelligence to target the worst of the worst, said a source.

DHS didn’t immediately respond to The Daily Wire’s request for comment.

However, DHS Assistant Secretary Tricia McLaughlin said on X that “this is one team, one fight,” adding that Miller, Homan, Lyons, Bovino, Lewandowski, and ICE Deputy Director Madison Sheahan are “patriots who wake up every day to make this country and its people safer.”

“President Trump has a brilliant, tenacious team led by @Sec_Noem to deliver on the American people’s mandate to remove criminal illegal aliens from this country,” McLaughlin wrote.

“As we said, we have no personnel changes to announce right now but we remain laser focused on RESULTS and we will deliver,” she added.

Lewandowski is seen seated next to Noem during a meeting with the president of Guatemala in June. (Photo by Anna Moneymaker/Getty Images)

Questions have also arisen about Lewandowski’s ability to call any shots at DHS, since his role has a 130-day limit.

By mid-August, Lewandowski, who served as Trump’s campaign manager in 2016, had logged 69 days, DHS said.

Axios reported in August that Lewandowski was serving as Noem’s “de facto chief of staff” who “has gamed the system by undercounting his work hours to avoid leaving his unpaid job when he should have.”

This reporter observed Lewandowski introduce himself to officials in ICE’s Phoenix office as “chief of staff” while on a ride-along with Noem.

“We’re hearing that Corey’s doing everything — failing to swipe in, working from home, whatever — to undercount his days. It’s fair to say his work is being watched now,” a White House official told Axios.

“He’s lying about his special government employee status 100%,” a source told The Daily Wire.