John Torres, the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Operations at U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), is expected to take the helm after yesterday’s announcement that Assistant Secretary Julie Myers is stepping down. Torres will guide the Department of Homeland Security’s primary criminal investigations agency through the transition until President Obama has named a new Secretary of Homeland Security and installed his choice to lead ICE.
Tapping Torres to lead ICE makes good sense. He’s a well-respected agent who understands the broad and diverse jurisdictions for which ICE is responsible. He also has a good political (small p) head on head on his shoulders, understanding the need to explain the mission and activities of ICE to the public and Congress in order to maintain support for an agency that is so critical to our homeland and national security efforts. He will do an excellent job of keeping ICE on mission until Obama is ready to place his nominee at the agency.
