Who's ICE's new acting head? Everything to know about ruthless bureaucrat critics call dangerous

The Trump administration has appointed David Venturella as the acting head of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

The appointment was confirmed by the Department of Homeland Security late Tuesday, May 12.

Venturella is expected to join on May 31, succeeding Todd Lyons, who served the department during a period of intense immigration crackdowns.

At 60, Venturella started his career with the former Immigration and Naturalisation Service in 1986. He then became the executive director of the controversial Secure Communities program that has been accused of frightening immigrant families into revealing their fingerprints to deportation officials.

In 2012, he left government for the GEO Group, a private prison company that holds billions in ICE detention contracts.

He has also served as a senior vice president before leaving in 2023, though he remained a paid consultant until 2025.

Watchdogs say his appointment raises concerns about ICE’s ties to the for-profit detention industry. 

In another case reported by The New York Times, Venturella reportedly instructed ICE agents in Miami to arrest and deport a Brazilian ex-girlfriend of Paolo Zampolli, who is a supporter of President Donald Trump, on behalf of Zampolli in the context of their custody battle. 

The Department of Homeland Security rejected the allegations, but it further fueled claims that Venturella politicised ICE.