David Venturella
David Venturella | |
|---|---|
| Acting Director of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement | |
| Assumed office June 1, 2026 | |
| President | Donald Trump |
| Deputy | Charles Wall |
| Preceded by | Todd Lyons (acting) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1965 or 1966 (age 59–60) |
| Education | Bradley University (BS) |
David J. Venturella (born 1965 or 1966) is an American former law enforcement officer who has served as the acting director of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement since 2026.
Early life
[edit ]David J. Venturella[1] was born in 1965 or 1966.[2] Venturella is the son of an immigrant.[3] He attended Bloom Trail High School.[4] Venturella graduated from Bradley University with a Bachelor of Science.[5]
Career
[edit ]Immigration enforcement (1986–2012)
[edit ]Venturella began working in immigration enforcement in 1986.[6] By December 1996, he had become a spokesman for the United States Immigration and Naturalization Service in Chicago.[7] By January 1997, he was the acting director of the service's district office in Chicago [8] and was the acting deputy director of the office by March.[9]
Venturella had transferred to the Immigration and Naturalization Service's headquarters as an assistant commissioner for detention and deportation by August 1999.[10] A Cuban prisoner whose flight to Cuba was redirected to Louisiana sued several officials, including Venturella, over the incident in April 2000.[11] After the Immigration and Naturalization Service was abolished in 2003, Venturella became an assistant director of the Office of Detention and Removal Operations within Immigration and Customs Enforcement.[12] He later became the office's director.[13] By August, Venturella had left the agency.[14]
By October 2008, Venturella had become the executive director of the Secure Communities program.[15] He had left that position by November 2011.[16] By April 2012, he had transferred to a position overseeing Immigration and Customs Enforcement's field offices.[17]
Private sector (2012–2025)
[edit ]In 2012, Venturella joined the GEO Group [18] to oversee business development.[2] He later served as the senior vice president of client relations.[19] Venturella left the GEO Group in 2023, but continued serving as a paid consultant until 2025.[2]
Immigration and Customs Enforcement advisorship (2025–present)
[edit ]Following the 2024 presidential election, Tom Homan, whom President-elect Donald Trump had named to serve as his border czar, expressed interest in appointing Venturella to lead Trump's immigration enforcement operation. Venturella's work for the GEO Group elicited concerns that an appointment would violate federal law and invite controversy over Immigration and Customs Enforcement's connections to the company.[2] Venturella joined Immigration and Customs Enforcement as an advisor in February 2025.[18] The New York Times reported in June that Venturella had requested the agency deport the Brazilian ex-girlfriend of Paolo Zampolli, a Trump ally, at Zampolli's request.[20] By the following month, he had become the deputy official overseeing a division that manages contracts for immigrant detention centers.[2]
Acting Director of Immigration and Customs Enforcement
[edit ]On May 12, 2026, the Department of Homeland Security announced that Venturella would succeed Todd Lyons as the acting director of United States Immigration and Customs Enforcement.[21]
References
[edit ]- ^ Johnson, M. Alex (October 15, 2010). "Cities, counties can't stop federal immigration checks". NBC News . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ a b c d e MacMillan, Douglas; Schaffer, Aaron (August 1, 2025). "The former private prison exec behind ICE's immigrant detention surge". The Washington Post . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Montoya-Galvez, Camilo; Sganga, Nicole (May 12, 2026). "Trump administration plans to name David Venturella as interim ICE chief after Lyons' departure". CBS News . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ "Bloom Trail high school reports fourth quarter honor roll students". Park Forest South Star. July 4, 1982.
- ^ Biswas, Shuvrajit (May 13, 2026). "David Venturella: 5 things to know about ICE official expected to lead agency after Todd Lyons". Hindustan Times . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ "Moseley-Braun's ex-fiance lacked permit to work". The State Journal-Register . Associated Press. May 3, 1998. Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Moscoso, Claudia (December 25, 1996). "Some Latinos find little holiday joy". Green Bay Press-Gazette . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Felker, Edward (January 15, 1997). "INS to step up hunt for illegal immigrants". The Dispatch . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Melcer, Rachel (March 24, 1997). "Immigrants rush to wed". Chicago Tribune . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Goldstein, Richard (August 15, 1999). "Chinese at Ullin get little help". The Southern Illinoisan . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Rosenberg, Carol (April 18, 2000). "Cuban prisoner sues U.S. government to be sent to island". Miami Herald . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Timoshenkov, Miguel (September 19, 2003). "No detendrán deportaciones masivas" [They will not stop mass deportations]. Laredo Morning Times (in Spanish). Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Gamboa, Suzanne (March 9, 2005). "Turf wars reported in border security". The Charlotte Observer . Associated Press . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Peckenpaugh, Jason (August 1, 2004). "Catch and Release". Government Executive . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Carroll, Susan (October 28, 2008). "Harris County testing immigrant ID program". The Houston Chronicle . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Waslin 2011, p. 10.
- ^ Heath, Brad (February 15, 2013). "U.S. set deportation targets". USA Today . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ a b MacMillan, Douglas (May 12, 2026). "DHS picks detention industry veteran David Venturella to lead ICE". The Washington Post . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Strickler, Laura (May 12, 2026). "Longtime ICE official David Venturella chosen to head agency". NBC News . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Twohey, Megan; McCreesh, Shawn; Aleaziz, Hamed (March 20, 2026). "Trump Friend Asked ICE to Detain the Mother of His Child". The New York Times . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
- ^ Aleaziz, Hamed; Pager, Tyler. "Trump Administration to Tap Longtime ICE Official to Lead Agency". The New York Times . Retrieved May 12, 2026.
Works cited
[edit ]- Waslin, Michele (November 2011). "The Secure Communities Program: Unanswered Questions and Continuing Concerns" (PDF). Immigration Policy Center . Retrieved May 12, 2026.