Amid a furor over its decision Monday to release hundreds of immigrant detainees in response to budget cuts, the Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is denying that a top official’s exit has anything to do with the new detention policy.On Wednesday afternoon, the Associated Press reported that Gary Mead, who is charge of enforcement and removal operations for ICE, e-mailed coworkers Tuesday that he was resigning, effective in April, after news broke that the agency was freeing scores of immigrants from its detention centers. The report noted the timing, but did not state the reasons for Mead’s exit, leading to speculation Mead either resigned in protest or was forced out for mishandling the matter.
This is a companion discussion topic for the original entry at https://talkingpointsmemo.com/?p=91706