US ICE official who worked at private prison firm will be agency’s new acting head

WASHINGTON – US President Donald Trump’s administration said on May 12 that Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) official David Venturella, who worked at private prison company GEO Group before rejoining ICE, will be the agency’s new acting director.

“Dave Venturella will serve as acting ICE director following Todd Lyons’ departure,” the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), which oversees ICE, said in a statement. Mr Lyons, ICE’s current acting head, will leave the federal government on May 31, DHS said in April. ICE has operated for years with directors serving in an “acting” capacity.

The agency has been without a Senate-confirmed director since early 2017. Since taking office early in 2025, Mr Trump has cracked down on immigration, with rights groups saying the government’s actions violate due process and free speech rights and create an unsafe environment, especially for ethnic minorities.

ICE has been at the heart of Mr Trump’s crackdown with its immigration detentions and attempted deportations. ICE agents’ fatal shooting of two US citizens in Minnesota, Mr Alex Pretti and Ms Renee Good, in January sparked nationwide protests.

Mr Trump has justified the crackdown by saying it aims to cut illegal immigration and improve domestic security. Mr Venturella has worked at ICE under Republican and Democratic administrations. He has also worked at GEO Group, a private prison firm that operates more than a dozen federal civil immigrant detention centres across the country. He rejoined ICE in 2025.

Rights advocates have raised concerns about ICE detention conditions. At least 18 deaths have been reported in ICE custody in the first four months of 2026, following 31 ​deaths in 2025, ​a two-decade high.

Rights groups recently criticised the year-long detention of Palestinian American woman Leqaa Kordia, who suffered ​a seizure in detention and said she was ​chained while in ⁠hospital. They also condemned the detention of Ms Hayam El Gamal and her five children aged 5 to 18, who all reported their health deteriorated while in custody.

Ms Kordia, who lost ⁠175 family ​members during Israel’s assault on Gaza, was released in March, and the ​El Gamal family in April.

The government denies mistreatment, saying detainees are allowed medical care ​and due process. REUTERS