President Donald Trump is shaking up the immigration enforcement game with a bold move that’s got bureaucrats scrambling.
News Nation Now reported that senior Border Patrol agents are stepping into the shoes of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officials in at least five major U.S. cities—Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, Phoenix, and San Diego—to refocus strategies on ramping up deportations.
This isn’t just a minor reshuffle; it’s a signal of Trump’s dissatisfaction with ICE’s current pace of arrests, pushing for a harder line that aligns with Border Patrol’s broader, more aggressive tactics.
Last week, ICE officers in these key cities were quietly relieved of their primary duties and reassigned to other roles within the agency, according to sources speaking to NewsNation.
Their replacements? Seasoned Border Patrol agents, handpicked to steer operations toward a more sweeping approach under the influence of Chief Gregory Bovino.
While ICE traditionally homes in on specific targets after detailed research, Border Patrol’s method—often involving large-scale raids—has stirred both results and controversy, frequently sparking public protests.
Chief Bovino, a polarizing figure, has been leading these high-profile operations, and his style is clearly favored by an administration hungry for numbers over nuance.
Just this week, Bovino found himself in court over accusations of deploying tear gas during an enforcement action in Chicago—a stark reminder of how heated these operations can get.
Sources suggest this temporary swap of personnel is designed to pivot ICE’s focus toward Bovino’s wider net, a move seen as more in sync with Trump’s vision for immigration control.
Behind the scenes, there’s a tug-of-war within the deportation enforcement sphere, with Border Czar Tom Homan and ICE Director Todd Lyons at odds with DHS Secretary Kristi Noem and Bovino, as reported by Fox News.
Homan, alongside White House adviser Stephen Miller, is driving this push for faster deportations, signaling that the status quo just won’t cut it anymore.
“We need to continue prioritizing public safety threats,” Homan told NewsNation, before adding a pointed reminder: “Worst first, but prioritization doesn’t mean everyone else is off the table. If you are here illegally, you ARE NOT off the table.”
Homan’s words aren’t just rhetoric—they’re a policy hammer, smashing any notion that unauthorized migrants can slip through the cracks under this administration.
Meanwhile, Bovino doubles down on his approach, telling NewsNation, “We are going to go throughout Chicago with reckless abandon — professionally, legally, ethically and morally — and arrest all illegal alien gang members that we can get our hands on.”
That’s a promise of action with a side of bravado, though one wonders if “reckless abandon” and “ethical” can truly share the same sentence—still, it’s clear Bovino means business, and the administration is betting on his playbook to deliver.