US President Donald Trump has reassigned the acting head of US Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to the agency's apparent slower performance in arresting and deporting illegal migrants. The official, Caleb Vitello, has been facing pressure to increase the pace of enforcement to achieve the goal of the US president after other top officials were reassigned a few days earlier. 

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Tricia McLaughlin, Department of Homeland Security spokesperson, confirmed the news to the Wall Street Journal saying Vitello "is no longer in an administrative role, but is instead overseeing all field and enforcement operations: finding, arresting, and deporting illegal aliens, which is a major priority of the President and Secretary Noem". 

Trump is not happy that his deportation rate is slower than his Democratic predecessor Joe Biden. The Trump administration has deported 37,660 migrants in the very first month of his second term in the White House, Reuters reported. This may seem massive but is way lower than the monthly average of 57,000 in the final year of the Biden administration.  

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It was further reported that Vitello, who has 23 years of experience in deportation and was handpicked by Trump in December, will remain in the agency and oversee enforcement of arrests, targeting and field operations.

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While announcing his pick, Trump had taken to his social media platform Truth Social to write, “A member of the Senior Executive Service, with over 23 years of service to [Ice], Caleb currently serves as Assistant Director of the Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs, where he oversees Agency-wide training, equipment, and policy to ensure Officer and Public Safety.”

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He further added, "Caleb’s exceptional leadership, extensive experience, and commitment to [Ice]’s mission make him an excellent choice to implement my efforts to enhance the safety and security of American communities who have been victimized by illegal alien crime."

A new acting director of the agency is yet to be announced by the White House, an official from the Trump administration told the Wall Street Journal. 

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ICE performing slow? 

Despite a sweeping policy on immigration, several Trump administration officials have claimed that ICE arrests and deportations are not as high as expected by the administration. 

Tom Homan, a former top ICE official who is serving as the administration's border czar, said earlier this month he was "not happy" with the agency's arrest levels. 

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Giving a contrary statement to the report on the number of deportations in the Trump administration, Homan said, "The number is a lot higher than under the Biden administration but we've got to do more."

Appearing on CNN, he called the arrests and deportations by the agency as "hard work". 

(With inputs from agencies)