Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged inAllNewsSportCultureLifestyleDavid Venturella has been appointed as the new acting director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) by DHS Secretary Markwayne Mullin, replacing retiring Todd Lyons. Venturella previously worked for ICE during the George W. Bush and Barack Obama administrations and later served as a senior vice president for GEO Group, a private company that operates prisons and detention centers. His appointment has drawn criticism due to potential conflicts of interest, as GEO Group holds over $1 billion in government contracts, with one representative stating that this ensures corporate profits from immigration enforcement. Under the previous director, ICE significantly increased its workforce and deportations but faced intense public backlash and protests, including fatal confrontations with federal agents in Minneapolis. Future concerns include ICE's potential role in the upcoming FIFA World Cup and the possibility of agents being deployed to polling stations during November's midterm elections, a prospect not ruled out by Donald Trump. In fullTrump appoints new ICE director to lead immigration crackdown after Noem chaosThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in

Venturella will serve as acting director following the departure of Todd M. Lyons, who has served in the role since March 2025, and will be tasked with leading ICE through one of…

The Trump administration says a former executive at a private prison operator will serve as the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

Todd Lyons had been working with ICE since 2023 to oversee detention contracts.

Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.Jump to contentThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or…

ICE’s next acting director spent over a decade at its top jail contractor, signaling the importance of mass detention in Trump’s “mass deportation” policy.

ICE’s next acting director spent over a decade at its top jail contractor, signaling the importance of mass detention in Trump’s “mass deportation” policy.

A longtime DHS official with prior ties to Obama-era immigration enforcement and private detention work is stepping back into a top role at a pivotal moment for the agency.

El funcionario que llega a reemplazar en unos días a Todd Lyons al mando del Servicio de Inmigración y Control de Aduanas es un rostro conocido dentro de las agencias migratorias…