What to know about Trump’s picks to carry out immigration agenda
On the campaign trail, President-elect Trump pledged to crack down on immigration, repeating at his rallies the line: “On Day 1, I will launch the largest deportation program in American history.”
Trump has said that the plan will target those in the country illegally and particularly those with criminal records, and that he will rely on local police departments for assistance, though the operation will require extensive coordination with federal agencies and would likely face resistance from some local jurisdictions.
Trump, who's set to return to the White House in just over a month, has already tapped several allies for key roles related to immigration in his second administration, indicating that he is looking to take a hard line on border policy.
He's already nominated former Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) director Tom Homan to serve as "border czar" and South Dakota Gov. Kristi Noem (R) to lead the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), who, if confirmed, would work closely with Stephen Miller, whom Trump chose as his deputy chief of staff for policy. Miller was instrumental in shaping many of Trump’s toughest immigration policies in his first term.
Trump, on Thursday, named three people to key roles related to border security and immigration: Caleb Vitello as acting director of ICE, Rodney Scott as commissioner of U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP)and Anthony Salisbury as the deputy Homeland Security adviser on the White House Homeland Security Council.
Vitello, Trump's pick for ICE director, already has 23 years of experience at the agency. He previously served as the Director of Interior Enforcement on the White House National Security Council, where he led a child and welfare safety effort, as well as other programs, his ICE biography showed.
Currently, Vitello is the assistant director for the Office of Firearms and Tactical Programs at ICE.
Trump's pick as commissioner of CBP, Rodney Scott, already has several decades of experience as he began his service in border patrol in the 1990s. He worked in both Trump's and Biden's administrations as the head of the border patrol.
Trump appointed him in February 2020, where he oversaw more than 21,000 personnel and backed some of Trump’s border policies, like the president-elect's "Remain in Mexico" program, a controversial initiative which forced non-Mexican asylum seekers to wait in Mexico for U.S. court dates. He also helped with Title 42, another controversial COVID-era policy that allowed for the rapid expulsion of asylum seekers throughout the pandemic.
Scott resigned — a highly anticipated move — in June 2021 and retired in August 2021.
Salisbury, Trump's choice for deputy Homeland Security adviser on the White House Homeland Security Council, is currently a special agent in charge of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) in Miami, where his office investigates crimes related to smuggling, financial fraud and human trafficking, the Miami Herald reported.
Salisbury has worked up the ranks of HSI as he previously served as the acting deputy executive associate director of the office and supervised the activities of HSI offices throughout the Republic of Mexico as the deputy attaché, NBCU's Florida affiliate, NBC6, reported.
In the role, Salisbury will work closely with Miller.