The government's decision to transfer Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials in Phoenix and other major U.S. cities is being seen by some as a move to ramp up deportation efforts and a sign of internal strain within the Department of Homeland Security, a claim the agency denies.
In Phoenix, John Cantu, the ICE officer overseeing deportation operations, has been removed — or is about to be removed — from his post, reports The Arizona Republic on Wednesday, quoting a top aide on Capitol Hill.
He has reportedly been offered a position at ICE headquarters in Washington, D.C., while the agency seeks a Border Patrol official to replace him, possibly a retiree to avoid bureaucratic hurdles in transferring personnel between agencies.
The reshuffling affects ICE leadership in at least eight major cities, including Phoenix, Denver, Los Angeles, Philadelphia, and San Diego, according to published reports, with the leadership changes taking effect Oct. 24.
The officials who have been removed, in addition to Cantu, are Denver Field Office Director Robert Guadian; San Diego Field Office Director Patrick Divver; Los Angeles Field Office Director Ernesto Santacruz; and Philadelphia's acting Field Office Director Brian McShane.
In Philadelphia, an ICE Homeland Security Investigations official — not a Border Patrol officer — will take over.
Salvador Reza, an immigrant advocate in Arizona, said the change signals a shift toward more aggressive arrests.
"It's getting from bad to worse," Reza said. "They are going to try to do the same thing they did in L.A. and the same thing they are doing in Chicago and New York."
This means life will be "more difficult for our community," he added.
"The racial profiling is going to be higher and I am afraid that they will start targeting the Home Depots and other places where people congregate," Reza said.
According to reports, the shake-up highlights divisions within the Trump administration.
One faction, led by Border Czar Tom Homan and ICE Director Todd Lyons, wants ICE to focus on immigrants with criminal records or final removal orders.
Another faction, aligned with Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, senior adviser Corey Lewandowski, and Border Patrol Cmdr. Greg Bovino, favors highly visible raids to increase deportation numbers.
An anonymous official suggested internal political dynamics may also be at play, telling the Washington Examiner: "I personally think this is being pushed by [Homeland Security Secretary Kristi] Noem and [Corey Lewandowski, DHS senior adviser] because they don't like [White House Border Czar Tom Homan]. I think Tom would have said, 'No way.'"
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Tricia McLaughlin has downplayed reports of a major shake-up.
"Talk about sensationalism," she said. "Only the media would describe standard agency personnel changes as a 'massive shake-up.'"
McLaughlin did not confirm the leadership changes but emphasized the administration's ongoing priorities.
"Since the beginning, President Trump promised to arrest the worst of the worst criminals and those in our country illegally," she said. "Our leadership understands that mission and is committed to defending the homeland. This isn't that complicated."
The Phoenix field office is one of the largest in the nation, overseeing more than 460 employees, a budget exceeding $100 million, and detention space for more than 2,500 detainees.
ICE officials in Phoenix referred questions about the leadership changes to the Department of Homeland Security.
Sandy Fitzgerald ✉
Sandy Fitzgerald has more than three decades in journalism and serves as a general assignment writer for Newsmax covering news, media, and politics.
© 2025 Newsmax. All rights reserved.