Overview
- Homeland Security officials confirmed late Tuesday that David Venturella will take over as acting ICE director after Todd Lyons departs on May 31.
- Venturella is a longtime immigration official who once led ICE’s Secure Communities program, which used jail fingerprint checks to flag people for possible deportation.
- He previously held senior posts at GEO Group and later consulted for the firm, which holds more than $1 billion in ICE contracts, drawing criticism from advocates and Democrats.
- He is viewed as close to border czar Tom Homan and is reported to prefer quieter, targeted operations after January’s fatal shootings by federal officers in Minneapolis fueled public backlash.
- It is unclear whether he will be nominated for the permanent post, and ICE has not had a Senate‑confirmed director since 2017.