Acting ICE Director: Difference between revisions
| (2 intermediate revisions by the same user not shown) | |||
| Line 11: | Line 11: | ||
== List of Acting ICE Directors == | == List of Acting ICE Directors == | ||
== Acting Directors == | |||
== Acting Directors == | == Acting Directors == | ||
{| class="wikitable sortable" | {| class="wikitable sortable" | ||
! Name !! Term !! Notes !! Sources | |||
|- | |||
| - | | [[Saldaña, Sarah R.|Sarah R. Saldaña]] | ||
| [[Saldaña, Sarah R. | | December 23, 2014 – January 20, 2017 | ||
| December 23, 2014 – January 20, 2017 | | Served as Acting ICE Director during presidential transition | ||
| Served as Acting ICE Director during presidential transition | | <ref>Public DHS records and congressional reporting.</ref> | ||
| <ref>Public DHS records and congressional reporting | |- | ||
| - | | [[Lechleitner, Patrick|Patrick Lechleitner]] | ||
| [[Lechleitner, Patrick | | July 2023 – February 2024 | ||
| July 2023 – February 2024 | | Senior ICE official appointed under DHS succession authority | ||
| Senior ICE official appointed under DHS succession authority | | <ref>DHS press releases and ICE leadership listings.</ref> | ||
| <ref>DHS press releases and | |- | ||
| - | | [[Vitello, Caleb|Caleb Vitello]] | ||
| [[Vitello, Caleb | | January 2025 – March 2025 | ||
| January 2025 – March 2025 | | Assistant Director appointed Acting ICE Director | ||
| Assistant Director appointed Acting ICE Director | | <ref>ICE leadership announcements and public reporting.</ref> | ||
| <ref>ICE leadership announcements and public reporting.</ref> | |- | ||
| - | | [[Lyons, Todd|Todd Lyons]] | ||
| [[Lyons, Todd | | March 2025 – Present | ||
| March 2025 – Present | | Acting ICE Director as of latest reporting | ||
| Acting ICE Director as of latest reporting | | <ref>ICE organizational records.</ref> | ||
| <ref>ICE organizational records | |} | ||
| } | |||
== Appointment Process == | == Appointment Process == | ||
| Line 45: | Line 46: | ||
* [[ICE Director]] | * [[ICE Director]] | ||
* [[Assistant Director]] | * [[Assistant Director]] | ||
* [[ICE | * [[ICE leadership]] | ||
* [[Department of Homeland Security]] | * [[Department of Homeland Security]] | ||
Latest revision as of 02:09, 28 December 2025
Acting ICE Director
The Acting Director of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) is a temporary leadership role assigned when the office of ICE Director is vacant, or when the Director is unavailable. Individuals serving in an acting capacity exercise the full operational authority of the Director during their tenure.
Acting Directors are typically senior ICE executives or Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials appointed under federal succession rules or internal DHS designation.
Role and Authority
The Acting ICE Director oversees all ICE components, including Enforcement and Removal Operations (ERO) and Homeland Security Investigations (HSI). Responsibilities include operational command, policy implementation, coordination with DHS leadership, and public representation of the agency.
While serving in an acting capacity, the official holds the same functional authority as a confirmed Director but does not undergo Senate confirmation for the role.
List of Acting ICE Directors
Acting Directors
Acting Directors
| Name | Term | Notes | Sources |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sarah R. Saldaña | December 23, 2014 – January 20, 2017 | Served as Acting ICE Director during presidential transition | [1] |
| Patrick Lechleitner | July 2023 – February 2024 | Senior ICE official appointed under DHS succession authority | [2] |
| Caleb Vitello | January 2025 – March 2025 | Assistant Director appointed Acting ICE Director | [3] |
| Todd Lyons | March 2025 – Present | Acting ICE Director as of latest reporting | [4] |
Appointment Process
Acting Directors are appointed under federal vacancy statutes and DHS internal succession protocols. In some cases, individuals may serve multiple non-consecutive acting terms depending on administrative changes.
Related Pages
Notes
This page documents the office of Acting ICE Director as an institutional role. Biographical details, incidents, and verification status are maintained on individual agent pages.