The Trump administration announced the departures of two top officials at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, the agency at the center of the White House’s mass deportation operation.
ICE announced Thursday that it was undergoing a “leadership realignment to support its increasing operational tempo.”
Ken Genalo, acting executive associate director of ICE’s Enforcement and Removal Operations, will retire from his post and step down to the role of a special government employee. ICE cited it as a way to spend more time with his family since he has been based in Washington since January.
A former senior DHS official with firsthand knowledge of Genalo’s forthcoming retirement disputed why Genalo was leaving.
“I believe this announcement is trying to put a spin on the changes; Ken was told he had to go,” the official wrote in a text message. “Ken retired when they told him they no longer wanted him as the EAD and they were not allowing him to return to NYC as the [field office director.]”
Robert Hammer, the acting executive associate director of ICE’s other arm, Homeland Security Investigations, has been replaced by Derek Gordon, a lower-ranking HSI official. Hammer had overseen 10,000 employees tasked with carrying out major investigations into cross-border crimes.
Genalo and Hammer did not respond to requests for comment.
The changes come as the White House continues to pressure ICE to turn up the numbers on arrests and deportations of illegal immigrants in the United States. The agency announced eight new faces in leadership as part of its new direction moving forward.
President Donald Trump has promised to carry out the “largest-ever” deportation operation, but is on track to come in below the highest year during the Obama administration.