Trump Administration Fires Key Immigration Officials Amid Controversy

WASHINGTON, D.C. — The Trump administration has dismissed Caleb Vitello, the acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), according to multiple sources within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). This decision follows internal concerns about media leaks and their impact on ICE operations, as expressed by Tom Homan, the border czar. Homan indicated that these leaks may have led to fewer anticipated arrests during ICE operations.

A current senior DHS official confirmed that Vitello will remain with ICE, overseeing arrests, targeting, and field operations. An announcement regarding his successor is expected soon.

Additionally, the Trump administration has terminated a Massachusetts immigration judge, Kerry Doyle, marking an unprecedented wave of firings within federal immigration appointments. Since the administration took office, the International Federation of Professional and Technical Engineers reports that over two dozen immigration judges and managers have been let go.

Doyle, who publicly criticized ICE while serving in previous legal roles, claimed her firing was politically motivated. In a LinkedIn post, Doyle stated she received her termination notice via email on February 14, expressing disappointment that her attempts to avoid political scrutiny ultimately failed. “Unfortunately, I was unable to avoid the political pink slip,” she remarked.

She highlighted that her class of new immigration judges—who were appointed under the Biden administration—had collectively lost their positions. “This firing was political,” Doyle asserted, adding that despite her extensive background in immigration law, she was among those selected for termination.

Federal authorities have remained tight-lipped regarding the reasons behind these firings, and specifics about the number of immigration judges dismissed remain unconfirmed. Critics, like Sarang Sekhavat from the Massachusetts Immigrant and Refugee Advocacy Coalition, argue that these terminations exacerbate an already significant backlog in immigration cases. Massachusetts currently has two immigration courts—Boston and Chelmsford—with a backlog exceeding 160,000 cases.

The national immigration court system faces a staggering backlog of more than 3.7 million cases. Sekhavat asserted, “It’s the exact wrong move to be making,” stating that the administration appears to be signaling an intent to change immigration policies fundamentally.

Doyle and others worry that these personnel changes may usher in a more conservative landscape within the courts, potentially compromising impartiality in immigration processes. “It’s the same thing we’ve seen across a lot of agencies,” Sekhavat noted.

Immigration attorney Matthew Maiona explained that deportation hearings can take two to three years for nonviolent cases, adding that each fired immigration judge could have managed between 500 to 700 cases this year alone. The ramifications of these firings could extend processing times significantly, compounding existing delays.

The Department of Justice’s Executive Office for Immigration Review declined to elaborate on the situation, citing confidentiality regarding personnel matters.